The 13 signatory agencies of the Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-Being for All (SDG3 GAP) will publish a new progress report today. The report entitled “What worked? No? Whats Next?” reflects four years of joint work by major multilateral agencies outlining what has and has not worked in strengthening collaboration and support to accelerate country progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This year marks the halfway point on the road to the SDGs, but the world is falling behind in meeting the global goals. Since its launch in 2019, SDG3 GAP has enabled the creation of new collaboration structures between signatory agencies in key areas such as sustainable financing and primary health care, among others. At least 67 countries participate in one or more of the GAP SDG3 accelerator themes.
“We have made important progress, but we still have a long way to go to improve the way multilateral organizations work together to support countries. We must listen to what countries tell us and act on their guidance,” he said. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General and Chair of the GAP SDG 3 Steering Group. “I thank the partners for their collaboration and for the honest self-assessments contained in this report.”
The report provides six key recommendations to ensure countries benefit from more agile support and to meet the commitments made in the SDG3 GAP. These include:
- continue the cycle of improving the GAP of SDG 3 for health by seeking the views of Member States on how we collaborate at the national level and responding to related recommendations;
- maintain GAP as a collaboration platform;
- foster stronger collaboration at the country level in primary health care and explore new thematic themes, such as climate resilient health systems;
- jointly apply new approaches at the country level, such as the delivery-for-impact approach;
- engage more with civil society; and
- work with Member States to strengthen incentives for collaboration through political leadership, governance direction and funding to support collaboration.
The report’s key findings will feed into discussions at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly SDG Summit and High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage in September 2023.
The months leading up to these key events provide an opportunity for a joint push by Member States and multilateral agencies to identify ways to implement the recommendations and pave the way to make the most of stronger collaboration and accelerate progress towards the SDGs related to health in the second half of the SDG timeframe.
Editor’s note:
The SDG3 GAP outlines how the 13 signatory agencies will embrace new ways of working, building on existing successful collaborations, and jointly align their support around country-owned and led national plans and strategies. Signatories to the SDG3 GAP are Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents (GFF); Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund); International Labor Organization (ILO); Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); United Nations Development Program (UNDP); United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); unitaid; United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women); World Bank Group; World Food Program (WFP); and World Health Organization (WHO). See full report, What worked? No? Whats Next?
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