Country Cooperation Strategy 2012-2017
Health Minister launches WHO India’s New Country Cooperation Strategy
| Envisioning better health for all Indians, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Hon’ble Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Government of India launched WHO’s new Country Cooperation Strategy with India (2012-17) along with Dr Nata Menabde, WHO Representative to India on 29 June 2012. Present at the launch were Mr P K Pradhan, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW); Mr K Desiraju, Special Secretary (Health Administration), MoHFW; and development partners including representatives from other UN agencies, World Bank, USAID, CDC, Norway India Partnership Initiative and Rotary International. Reflecting the shared vision of the two partners, it is for the first time that the Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) has been developed jointly by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India and the WHO Country Office for India (WCO). The key aim of this path-breaking strategy is to contribute to improving health and equity in India. It also provides the blueprint for unleashing India’s role on the global health arena alongside the continued pursuit of health improvement in the country. In this context, it distinguishes and addresses the challenges to India’s potential globally as well as impediments in solving long-standing health and health service delivery internally. To contribute meaningfully to the national health policy processes and government’s health agenda, the CCS identifies three strategic priorities and the focus areas under each priority: Supporting an improved role of the Government of India in global health International Health Regulations: Ensuring the implementation of International Health Regulations and similar commitments Pharmaceuticals: Strengthening the pharmaceutical sector including drug regulatory capacity and, trade and health Stewardship: Improving the stewardship capacity of the entire Indian health system Promoting access to and utilization of affordable, efficiently networked and sustainable quality services by the entire population Financial Protection: Providing universal health service coverage so that every individual would achieve health gain from a health intervention when needed Quality: Properly accrediting service delivery institutions (primary health care facilities and hospitals) to deliver the agreed service package Helping to confront the new epidemiological reality of India Health of Mothers and Children: Scaling up reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services Combined Morbidity: Addressing increased combinations of communicable and non-communicable diseases Transitioning Services: Gradual, phased “transfer strategy” of WHO services to the national, state and local authorities without erosion of effectiveness during the transition period Incorporating valuable recommendations of key stakeholders, the CCS balances country priorities with WHO’s strategic orientation of contributing optimally to national health and health systems development. It includes a number of inter-sectoral actions on the broad determinants of health as well as necessary health system reforms for providing better services to individuals and communities, and jointly achieving greater health impact. Aligned closely to the ongoing WHO reforms, this new CCS also marks a transition in terms of how WCO plans, works, organizes itself and delivers measurable results towards the goal of ensuring better health for all Indians in collaboration with the Government and other partners. The CCS implementation will be based on two-year Action Plans developed by the WCO in consultation with the MoHFW taking due consideration of the health priorities envisaged by the 12th Five Year Plan.