The Alliance questions to what extent the IHP+ translates into concrete actions. Further commitments are required if we are to improve the health of women living with HIV in rural communities in Zambia; deliver healthcare that really meets the needs of a child born to a HIV-positive mother in the slums of Nairobi; ensure that national health plans include programmes to address the needs of all citizens of the country, including key populations such as people living with HIV, sex workers and injecting drug users; and put in place a comprehensive approach to delivering health services that these communities can access.
“We welcome the inclusion of civil society in the IHP+ process at the governance level but concerted efforts must be made to ensure this inclusiveness is replicated at the national level so that the plans supported by IHP+ will successfully support the health needs of all, including the marginalised citizens,” said Elaine Ireland.
“We hope that the actions agreed at the Ministerial Review will generate additional domestic and donor resources for health, even in a time of crisis, that are coordinated, aligned with national health plans and confer genuine ownership of the resources to the citizens and governments to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010 and the health-related MDGs by 2015.”
This Ministerial Review brought together heads of the ‘Health 8’ agencies, including Michel Kazatchkine of the Global Fund, Michel Sidibe of UNAIDS, Thoraya Obaid of UNFPA, Ann Veneman of UNICEF and Julian Lob-Levyt of GAVI Alliance; Ministers of Health from 12 developing countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Nigeria, Cambodia, Mozambique and Madagascar; and bilateral donors from the UK, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Australia, Italy, France and other countries.