© 2010 The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
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 Global Fund’s approach to health systems strengthening.
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.