DFID’s latest white paper,
Eliminating World Poverty: Building our Common Future shows real promise for Merlin and its Hands up for Health Workers campaign.Focusing on fragile states and investment towards health
systems and health workers, it reflects Merlin approach to health care.It commits to:
Investing in fragile states â€" allocating 50 per
cent of all bilateral aid to fragile states â€" countries which carry the highest burden of disease
Allocating £200 million to cover recurring costs, including
salaries of health workers
Investing £6 billion toward health systems by 2015
Supporting free health care at point of delivery
Prioritising malnutrition -
integrating nutrition and food security, especially for women and young children.
Despite sound recommendations, there is still room for improvement. The following areas could be
developed:
The plans need to be more detailed, as it is not clear how they will be implemented
Free health care is ideal â€" but who will cover
the costs? Clearer instruction is needed on this area
The white paper explicitly places politics at the centre of decisions about development. This raises questions about how funds will be
allocated, where and to what sectors. Investment in support to basic services, such as health, is just as important as investment in justice and security
The paper states that delivering
health care is important for achieving economic growth, and therefore stability. However, it should be made explicit that good health is a fundamental human right.
Carolyn Miller,
Chief Executive of Merlin said:“DFID’s white paper shows real promise. However it must commit to strengthening health systems within fragile
states. With over 15 years experience operating in fragile states such as Sudan, Congo and Afghanistan, Merlin has demonstrated that building up a health system, even in the most challenging
circumstances, is the most sustainable route to development. DFID must not shy away from approach and must rise to the challenge of re-building health systems fragile states."Find out about our policy priorities
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
British troops from the Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS), take a rest hours after being inserted by helicopter into a Taliban-held area of Afghanistan's Helmand province during operation Panther's Claw, ...
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