More Information on Global Health Initiatives

GAVI HSS windows started in 2005 to support HSS activities that demonstrated a clear link to improve immunization outcomes and to support a broader maternal and child health goals. The Global Fund opened an initial HSS window in the Round 5 (2005) which was resumed again in Round 8 as a "cross-cutting" HSS window, which aimed to overcome health systems bottlenecks linked to two or more of the three diseases supported (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis or malaria).

The Health Systems Funding Platform (HSFP) by GAVI, the Global Fund and the World Bank, established in 2010, has the following three modalities: 1) harmonization and alignment of existing HSS support; 2) access to new HSS funding based on jointly assessed national health strategy (JANS); and 3) access to new HSS funding based on applications through a common proposal form. The Platform aims to bring "more health for the money" by introducing:

• one comprehensive health plan, that integrates both domestic funding and international aid;
• one joint assessment of the national health strategy;
• one budget; and
• one tracking system for funds.

Since 2009, the Platform partners initiated a pilot funding based on the national heath plan of a country which has undergone the joint assessment exercise using the JANS (Joint Assessment of National Strategies) tool developed by IHP+. In the Western Pacific Region, Vietnam had conducted the joint assessment of its new national health plan in 2010 and was granted the HSFP funding support based on the national health plan. Harmonization and alignment efforts by Platform partners for the existing HSS support is also underway in countries such Cambodia.

In August 2011, a common HSS proposal form by the Global Fund and GAVI was officially launched at the time of the Global Fund Round 11 call for application. This GAVI Alliance/Global Fund joint HSS window has replaced the previous GAVI HSS support and the Global Fund cross-cutting HSS support (section 4B). At the end of 2011, however, the Global Fund cancelled its Round 11 call for application due to the financial constraints. The planned stand-alone HSS window for the Round 11 of the Global Fund, therefore, has been suspended until at least till 2014. GAVI remains committed to support HSS funding under the new HSFP architecture.

GAVI Alliance, the Global Fund, and the World Bank are one of the key providers of support for health system development in the Western Pacific Region. Harmonizing 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 and increasing efficiency at country level.

In order to facilitate discussion and strengthen cross-prorgramme collaboration for the synergistic HSS interventions, WHO organized two rounds of "Workshop on Maximizing Synergies between Global Health Initiatives and Health Systems" in 2009 and 2011 with the national diseases and health systems programme managers. WHO is also supporting national policy dialogue aiming for robust, coherent and balanced national health policies which will help aligning support from the partners and realizing a coordinated approach for health across programmes in order to strengthen the health systems based on primary health care and achieve a long term sustainable health development.