The Community Health Roadmap has the potential to save over a half a million lives, bridging gaps in survival, equity and thriving in 15 countries, and contributing to the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the SDGs
GLOBAL – The Community Health Roadmap (Roadmap) on 10 September 2109 convened Ministries of Health, business leaders, philanthropists, the UN and civil society for joint action on advancing national community health priorities in 15 countries, with six new announcements.
First, fully optimized health platforms in the 15 Roadmap countries could save over a half a million lives between 2020 and 2030 and there would be a 50% closure of the gap in under-5 mortality by 2030. A half a billion people would have the option to access healthcare in their communities and there would be reductions in malnutrition and increased gender empowerment through additional reproductive health services and female employment.
Second, 14 countries have established their national community health priorities that require action from global and in-country partners. These countries include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote D’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Uganda and Zambia.
Third, six cross-country investment priorities have been established, which include financing, fragmentation, optimization, future fit, performance management and high-level commitment. For each of the six areas, detailed descriptions of the problem to solve, what to build on and select illustrative investments have been outlined.
Fourth, a Catalytic Fund has been established to support national priorities, with over $1 million in initial pledges. This fund would assist Ministries of Health with grants to fill immediate gaps not met by existing resources.
Fifth, building on the Institutionalizing Community Health Conference in 2017, there will be an ICHC 2020 conference in February in Senegal, hosted by USAID, UNICEF and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This conference is an important milestone where all 15 Roadmap countries will have community health priorities finalized, the Catalytic Fund will be operational with additional funding, and there will be additional engagement with funders and implementers against national priorities and a plan for monitoring progress.
And lastly, the Community Health Roadmap process will be on-going and led through a Secretariat, and part of its mandate will be to share progress across the 15 countries.
Linked to the global momentum towards UHC, there has been recognition of community health structures as a critical delivery platform for Primary Healthcare (PHC) services.
As part of increasing access to, and strengthening of PHC services, and an essential component in the achievement of UHC and SDG 3, the Community Health Roadmap – a country-led process of identifying national investment priorities and elevating them to the global stage for action – will contribute to a vision of a people-centered delivery of comprehensive, accessible, affordable and integrated health services appropriate to local context.
For more detailed information about all of these announcements, including the full national community health priorities from 14 countries, please visit the new website www.communityhealthroadmap.org.
Source: www.communityhealthroadmap.org.