Brazzaville, 2 March 2007 -- Five United Nations agencies operating in Africa have committed to jointly support African countries to accelerate progress towards the achievement of the health related Millennium Goals (MDGs).

“At country level, our five agencies are committed to work closed together with our governments, national counterparts and other development partners to help support policy, and operational and partnership conditions conducive to the timely achievement of the health related MDGs,” representatives of the five organizations said in a joint statement after a meeting in February Dakar, Senegal.

The statement, received in Brazzaville Friday, was signed by WHO Regional Director for Africa , Dr Luis G. Sambo, the Africa Regional Director of UNFPA, Madam Fama Ba, The World Bank’s Director of Human Development for Africa, Mr Yaw Ansu, the UNICEF Regional Director for Central Africa, Esther Guluma and Dr Per Engebak who overseers UNICEF’s operations in Eastern and Southern Africa The Manager of the African Development Bank’s Health Division, Mr. Tahinko Munga, signed the statement on behalf of his institution.

The agencies identified various the constraints to development at country level in the region saying that “the defining focus of the (intervention) process should be on health outcomes whether achieved through health investments or other sectors.”

Among the constraints to development they identified were: a lack of robust sectoral strategies, plans and budgets; weak linkages between the health sector and broader development processes; weak domestic resource mobilization; and insufficient attention to systems issues that impede quality and equitable service delivery

Others were inadequate monitoring systems for tracking resource flows, progress and outcomes; limited progress in translating global commitments on aid effectiveness into concrete action at country level, and a lack of a multi-sectoral approach to achieving health outcomes

To help countries address these constraints, the meeting agreed to set up a joint mechanism to facilitate the provision of technical support to country teams. A small team composed staff from each agency will be established to engage in a consultative process with country teams and partners in health to come up with a pragmatic plan for 2007 and 2008.

The Brazzaville-based WHO Regional Office for Africa is to take the lead in coordinating efforts in health policy dialogue among the collaborating agencies.

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