Teaming up to influence global health policy
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7/28/2019 Teaming up to influence global health policy
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EFFECT | spring 2007 European Foundation Centre | www.efc.be
The European Commission and theWorld Health Organization (WHO)
have both taken on board a policy
document on global health created
by the European Partnership for
Global Health (EPGH), a European
Foundation Centre (EFC) member-led
initiative. European Perspectives
on Global Health: A Policy Glossary
sets out a comprehensive framework
for a possible European agenda and
strategy on global health.
I very much welcome the Glossary,says Robert Madelin, Director-General
for Health and Consumer Protection
at the Commission. It identifies and
explains the global health challenges we
are facing in a very clear and objective
way, and provides an excellent basis
for further discussion on how to tackle
these challenges For the Commission
it is important to get input to the new
Health Strategy from a broad range of
stakeholders, including foundations,
many of whom are very active in the
health sector. The Glossary is a veryvaluable contribution in this process.
The EU is increasingly being called
upon to show leadership in shaping this
agenda beyond its borders, which is
why global health will be a key element
in the new Health Strategy to be
adopted by the Commission this year.
Indeed, the Global Health Policy
Glossary aims to serve as a catalyst
for engagement and action by a
variety of European stakeholders to
promote the global health agenda,and as a framework for dialogue and
collaboration.
Designed to inform policy deliberations
in the wider political, social and
economic spheres, the Glossary calls for
a European strategy for global health.
Foundations can be crucial players and
valuable partners in advancing the
global health agenda and in helping to
shape policy in this field.
In response to the new global healthchallenges, the WHO is strengthening
its collaboration with the EU and
its institutions, in particular the
Commission, Presidency and Parliament.
A new WHO strategy on cooperation
with the EU for the period 2006-2015
is under development. WHO-EU
strategic cooperation needs to be
further scaled up. It is an opportune
moment, says Susanne Weber-
Mosdorf, Assistant Director-General for
Sustainable Development and Healthy
Environments at the WHO.
Weber-Mosdorf sees the Glossary
as a useful document that sets out
the challenges in global health. She
believes the document will raise
awareness about these challenges and
the need for inter-sectoral collaboration
to tackle them. Moreover, she notes
that the glossary is a starting point
for dialogue between actors involvedin global health, including WHO and
foundations.
On January 15th 2007, the day the
Glossary was first presented to Geneva-
based international organisations
and the diplomatic, academic andfoundation communities, EPGH
representatives met with Weber-
Mosdorf as a first step towards
establishing such a dialogue with the
WHO. Weber-Mosdorf recognised the
important role foundations can play
in shaping policy and supporting pilot
initiatives to identify new approaches
to global health issues, thanks to their
independence, convening power and
ability to invest for the long term.Madelin stresses that stakeholder
participation is a core principle of
good governance at both the EU and
global levels: Foundations are key
actors in health policy, through funding
initiatives and policy dialogue, and we
value their contribution. They have an
important role to play, particularly in
raising awareness and mobilising actors
involved in global health. Only with a
joint effort will we make global health a
priority on the international agenda.
The Glossary maps the many
dimensions of global health, the major
players involved, and the steps that have
been taken, as well as gaps that need to
be addressed. It provides foundations
and their partners with a handy road
map for action as part of a European
strategy for global health. It is hoped
that foundations will get more engaged
with global health issues, and closer
and more long-term collaboration
between foundations and international
institutions, such as the EuropeanCommission and the WHO, will become
a cornerstone of global health policy at
the European level. The EFCs EPGH is
keen to work with the foundation sector
and these institutions to strengthen
such collaboration.
Nyegosh Dube, EFC
The Glossary was commissioned by
the EFC European Partnership for
Global Health and produced by a
group of global health experts from
Europe, Africa, and the Americas,
with the support of Fundao Calo-
uste Gulbenkian, The Nuffield Trust,
Stiftelsen Riksbankens Jubileums-
fond, and the Universal Education
Foundation.
To download the glossary,
go to: w ww.efc.be/4209
7HDPLQJXSWRLQXHQFHJOREDOKHDOWKSROLF\
For the Commission it is
important to get input to
the new Health Strategy
from a broad range of
stakeholders, including
foundations.
Robert Madelin, European Commission
MAKING IT WORK TOGETHER0