Last week, the Alliance, in collaboration with the WHO Health Financing and Economics Department, convened senior national policy-makers and development partners to tackle one of the most pressing challenges in global health today: sustaining health coverage in the face of health financing cliffs. It was an important opportunity for countries to share what they are already doing to respond to recent withdrawal and pauses in aid for health through prioritizing resources, mobilizing funding and adapting policies to maintain health services. While some countries have been able to react quickly and free up substantial resources to plug immediate gaps, others are finding it more of a challenge – like when trying to raise taxes to support health needs. Other countries are seeing this current moment as an opportunity to strengthen public systems and re-absorb highly skilled public health professionals who were previously employed by development partners into their workforce.
Participants examined emerging trends in domestic and global financing and identified the data, analytics and policy support required to help countries effectively navigate these dramatic shifts in overseas development assistance.
A major outcome of the discussions was the development of a forward-looking analytical and research agenda that could inform both immediate and long-term responses to health financing challenges. This agenda will support country-level adaptations, inform structural reforms and contribute to shaping a more resilient global health financing system. The Alliance and the WHO Health Financing and Economics Department will now consider how to take this work forward, ensuring that research and evidence generated from this critical dialogue inform policy action and contribute to more resilient and adaptive health financing systems worldwide.