U.S. Announces $125 Million Award to Improve Health Systems in Developing Nations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 22, 2006
Press Office: 202-712-4320
Public Information: 202-712-4810
www.usaid.gov
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced a $125 million five-year award to Abt Associates to strengthen health systems in developing countries with the objective of ensuring that access to life-saving health care is efficient and available for all who need it.
Weak and inequitable health systems are key obstacles in developing countries. Disadvantaged people are often prevented from using basic health services because they cannot afford to pay for them. As a result, large numbers of people die from easily preventable diseases.
Managed by Abt Associates, the Health Systems 20/20 project will work to ensure that disadvantaged populations living in developing countries do not face financial barriers to obtaining life-saving health services, including mother and child health HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis treatments. The project will use state-of-the-art operations to ensure that health systems operate smoothly and efficiently, while also working to combat corruption and ensure accountability in the health sector.
"Building strong health systems requires improvements across the spectrum," said Dr. Kent R. Hill, USAID Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Global Health. "We want to strengthen the capacity of local institutions, so that developing countries can one day 'own' the fight they must lead against poverty. The U.S. Government believes that strengthening health systems is critical to achieving long-lasting, transformational development."
The overarching goal of the project is to build institutional capacity so that developing countries can continue to improve health systems after the project ends. In line with the project's vision, 35 percent of funding for countries will be channeled through developing country institutions.
Specifically, the project aims to achieve the following results by 2010:
- Ensure financing arrangements in five countries that allow poor households to access priority health services such as assisted deliveries and that countries receiving significant U.S. Government aid can effectively track and account for financial resources in health;
- Strengthen the health systems in five countries by leveraging global initiatives, such as The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization and the Global Fund, for resources to strengthen health systems;
- Civil society and the media have the capacity to hold governments accountable in target countries and that local entities are able to provide ongoing technical assistance in health governance, finance and operations;
- All countries with USAID missions that take on the Health Systems 20/20 project will have increased capacity to implement poverty reduction strategies for health and increased capacity to budget and spend health funds effectively.
For more information on USAID's programs in health systems, please visit http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/hs/.
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