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For many low income countries, meeting the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2010 remains a challenge…

Though issues of hunger, child mortality, maternal health, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other existing and emerging health threats continue to threaten the development of the world's poorest and most vulnerable, progress towards achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is being made. For example, global child mortality rates declined by 25% from 1990 to 2006, with under-5 deaths per 1,000 live births decreasing from 180 to 142 in least-developed countries (LDCs). However, many experts have concluded that MDG goals 1b, 4, 5, and 6 will not be achieved without a revised and streamlined approach to implementation, in line with the 2005 Paris Declaration.

In Africa, the IHP+ builds on work already started through the 'Harmonization for Health in Africa’ (HHA) mechanism, which was launched in 2006 with similar objectives. Many countries have been engaged under these different initiatives; those that signed up to the IHP in September are committed to developing 'compacts' with international development partners.

The challenge:

The International Health Partnership was launched in September 2007 in order to respond to the MDG challenges that called for all signatories to accelerate action to scale-up coverage and use of health services, and deliver improved outcomes against the health- related MDGs and universal access commitments. Closely related initiatives have also been launched with the common aim to accelerate the achievement of the health-related MDGs in line with the Paris Declaration.

The result:

An inter-agency coordinated process and common work plan: IHP+ (International Health Partnership and related initiatives)

Key Principles:

• The focus of this process will be on health-related MDG outcomes. Increasing aid effectiveness, improving policy, strategy and health systems performance, and mobilizing all actors, including non-State actors, more efficiently are all means to an end.
• Actions will be country-focused and country-led. All activities will be contingent on country circumstances and will build on already existing structures, mechanisms and health plans in countries. They will be supported by dedicated regional and global activities, if necessary.
• The work will evolve as it brings together the support for the implementation of the IHP+ (e.g. Global Campaign for Health MDGs with focus on women and children according to MDG4 & 5, the Catalytic Initiative, Health Metrics Network, Global Health Workforce Alliance, Providing for Health, etc.).