Alliance calls for new UK Department for International Development healthcare strategy to adopt an integrated approach

28 July 2006

AIDS programmes and resources have significant potential to strengthen health systems, according to the Alliance. But governments and donors must recognise and support households and communities alongside clinics and hospitals in an integrated and linked approach, and recognise the burden that efforts in households and communities take from formal health systems.

The Alliance’s comments come in response to the UK’s Department for International Development’s consultation process on the development of its new health strategy, which is anticipated to be accompanied by significant new resources for health in developing countries.

The Alliance highlighted that much healthcare and support is provided outside of formal health systems. Efforts within communities and households represent a vast and undervalued resource for building health workforces and bringing greater access to health services.

In many Alliance programmes, community organisations are providing significant services with the objective of strengthening and integrating with local public health providers, including:

  • HIV testing and counselling
  • treatment information, support and distribution
  • HIV prevention education, including for people living with HIV
  • sexual and reproductive health services for people with HIV
  • stigma and discrimination programmes
  • advocacy
  • palliative care
  • referral to health, social and other support services.

The Alliance’s submission also asks for the new health strategy to focus on interventions that address G8 and World Summit targets on universal access to prevention, treatment and care, as well as interventions to meet the Millennium Development Goals on reducing child mortality and improving maternal health, and the World Summit commitment on improving reproductive health.

Other Alliance recommendations include:

  • supporting the scale-up of anti-retroviral treatment in developing countries
  • treating HIV-positive health care workers
  • investing in the training and retention of the UK’s own health workforce to end the dependence on health care workers from developing countries
  • supporting a robust and diverse civil society.

For further information on this process, contact Susie McLean, Senior Policy Advisor.