Panelists
- Tom Drake (presenter), Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Global Development
- Getachew Teshome Eregata, Health Advisor, FCDO; Formerly Advisor and Chief of Staffs, State Minster Office, Federal Ministry of Health of Ethiopia
- Regis Hitimana, Chief Benefits Officer, Rwanda Social Security Board
- John-Arne Røttingen, Ambassador for Global Health, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Agnes Soucat, Head, Division of Health and Social Protection, AFD - Agence Française de Développement
Moderator
- Pete Baker, Deputy Director of Global Health Policy and Policy Fellow, Center for Global Development
Health aid has contributed to historic gains in global health, but it can also be volatile, fragmented, and even displace domestic finances. What’s more, it can prevent countries from setting their own priorities, which is worsened by a lack of equitable aid exit strategy. Health financing requires rethinking to be more effective, better prepared for the future, and better aligned with recipient country priorities.
Part of the challenge is that aid is directed at what the donor considers to be the priority, and domestic finances have to fit around this. During this event, experts will discuss the adoption of a new financing model which flips this on its head. Domestic finances are allocated ‘first,’ and aid is allocated as ‘top up.’ In practice, this would mean domestic finances would support essential health services – the core package of the highest priority, most cost-effective services – and health aid should primarily be used to expand the package of affordable services at the margin. The panel will discuss a new CGD policy paper proposing this approach and what it could mean for donor prioritization, country ownership, and sustainability of health aid financing.
If you have questions for our panelists, please submit them to events@cgdev.org, tweet @CGDev #CGDTalks, or submit your comments via YouTube.
