Health Systems Strengthening
What is health systems strengthening in the context of the Global Fund’s mandate?
A health system consists of all organizations, people and actions whose primary intent is to promote, restore or maintain health. Health systems strengthening, in the context of Global Fund support, refers to activities and initiatives that improve the underlying health systems of countries and/or manage interactions between them in ways that achieve more equitable and sustainable health services and health outcomes related to the three diseases.
With a strong focus on ensuring linkages between the health sector and outcomes for the three diseases, the Global Fund remains committed to providing funding for health systems strengthening (HSS) within the overall framework of funding technically sound disease proposals. For more read the information note on health systems strengthening (PDF - 598 KB).
The Global Fund has joined the GAVI Alliance, the World Bank and the World Health Organization to create a new Health Systems Funding Platform (the Platform). The objective of the Platform is to make better use of new and existing funds for health systems strengthening through simplification of countries’ access to HSS support, and through harmonization and alignment of this support in a way that is country driven, results-focused and involves all country stakeholders including civil society and the private sector. For more information, please see the Health Systems Funding Platform Microsite.
Why is health systems strengthening important?
The Global Fund recognizes the importance of supporting public, private and community health systems where weaknesses and gaps in those systems constrain the achievement of improved outcomes in reducing the burden of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. Inadequate health systems are one of the main obstacles to scaling up interventions to secure better health outcomes for HIV, TB and malaria. Meeting the Millennium Development Goals for HIV, TB and malaria will require a significant ramping up of finances: a total of US$ 28 to 31.2 billion annually for 2008 to 2010 is needed to fight the three diseases. The price tag for overall health systems needs is larger still - critically so for human resources, where an estimated US$ 92 billion is required by 2015, with an additional US$ 39 billion for salary support, to fill the gap of 2.4 million doctors, nurses and urgently needed health care workers. The WHO estimates 38 countries in sub-Saharan Africa do not have the statutory 20 physicians per 100,000 people and 17 have less than half of the required number of nurses at fewer than 50 per 100,000 people.
Health Systems Funding Platform
The Global Fund has joined the GAVI Alliance, the World Bank and the World Health Organization to create a new Health Systems Funding Platform (the Platform). The objective of the Platform is to make better use of new and existing funds for health systems strengthening through simplification of countries’ access to HSS support, and through harmonization and alignment of this support in a way that is country driven, results-focused and involves all country stakeholders including civil society and the private sector.
Unique opportunity
GAVI Alliance, the Global Fund, and the World Bank are the largest providers of support for health system development. Harmonising and eventually providing support through a joint system funding platform has the potential to significantly strengthen and improve health systems by:
- lowering transaction costs for countries by harmonising proposal development and reporting;
- increasing efficiency at country level through strengthened and more harmonised planning;
- reducing fiduciary risk by employing joint funding mechanisms.
As recommended by the International Health Partnership and the High Level Task Force for innovative financing for health systems, GAVI, GFATM and the WB, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), are exploring opportunities for joint programming of the different organisations' health system support.
Download answers to FAQs (PDF - 318 KB) about the Health Systems Funding Platform.
To learn more about the Platform, visit the Health Systems Funding Platform page on the World Bank website.