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September 2006

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Global Health Policy Research Network Update
September 2006

In this issue:

Commitments to Close the Evaluation Gap Made in Bellagio, Italy

In June at a meeting in Bellagio, Italy, international leaders committed their support for the creation of an independent entity to sponsor rigorous impact evaluations of social programs in developing countries. At this Rockefeller Foundation-supported meeting, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, India's Institute for Financial Management and Research, the African Monitor, and bilateral agencies from the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Canada and Australia all expressed interest in being involved in such an effort. Meeting participants called for developing country governments to play a central role in the new entity, and clarified which functions would be taken on by the new international effort. CGD will assist in the launch of a new entity by convening a small group of committed developing country governments and donors to consider design options and draft a work plan and timetable for founding the new entity. For more information, including a list of meeting participants, see the press release.

Advance Market Commitments: Beyond the G8

In the lead up to the July meeting of the G8 in St. Petersburg, Advance Market Commitments for vaccines generated considerable interest from leading media and a clear consensus emerged in favor of the initiative from leaders in industry, public health, development and public policy. This was reflected in the final G8 statement on infectious diseases, which includes statements of support from Canada, Italy, UK, US and Russia for the launch of a pilot AMC by the end of 2006. Canada and the UK indicate that they specifically support an AMC for a vaccine against pneumococcal infections, and the Canadians have pledged C$100 million towards a pilot for pneumo - the first specific offer of funds for an AMC. Now, these countries are working with GAVI and the World Bank to establish a process for taking it forward, and are reaching out to other possible donors, including countries outside the G8 and perhaps foundations, to participate in the program. A copy of the pilot proposal is now available online.

Final Report of the Global Health Indicators Working Group Now Available

Many funders of international development programs use indicators as proxies for good public policies and the ability of countries to use aid well. As an input to these efforts, and in response to a request from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, CGD convened the Global Health Indicators Working Group to examine potential measures of a government's commitment to health with the goal of identifying and recommending a set of indicators for consideration by the MCC and other donors as they assess country eligibility for investment. The group's findings are presented in detail in the new report, Measuring Commitment to Health, which is now available online along with a comprehensive inventory of the original indicators under consideration.

Demand Forecasting Principles for Global Health Products

Earlier this year, CGD launched the Global Health Forecasting Working Group to generate critical thinking about: the magnitude and nature of the challenges of demand forecasting; the ways in which demand forecasting could be improved; and the specific actions and investments by international actors to improve the global demand forecasting framework through better information sharing and risk management. The group will develop analytically-based policy recommendations for multi- and bilateral funding and technical agencies, as well as policymakers in developing countries. In addition to the original background paper, Forecasting for Global Health: New Money, New Products & New Markets, the Working Group has developed a set of 10 key demand forecasting principles to guide the design and management of good forecasting processes, with the aim of a) increasing market understanding and credibility; b) increasing accuracy and reducing variation; c) better understanding and mitigating system-wide risk; and d) increasing value for money. For more information on these principles or the Working Group in general, please contact Jessica Wolf Pickett (jpickett@cgdev.org).

What Works? Working Group Approves Three New Case Studies for Millions Saved Update

In response to widespread demand, an updated and expanded version of Millions Saved: Proven Successes in Global Health will be reissued in February 2007 as a companion book to the first undergraduate textbook in global health, Essentials of Global Health. In addition to the existing 17 case studies, the book will include three new case studies: reducing child mortality with vitamin A supplementation in Nepal; improving vision with cataract surgery in India; and preventing neural tube defects with wheat flour fortification in Chile. The new edition also will include updated content in the original cases, and discussion questions for each case. These additions and changes will be reflected on our website, which will be relaunched at the time of publication. In the meantime, see a recent Chicago Life interview related to the book.

Take Survey on Performance-Based Incentives

CGD's Working Group on Performance-Based Incentives continues to examine the use of material incentives (financial or other, such as food) to motivate changes in behavior by health managers, workers or patients and household decision makers. The group is exploring eight case studies on both the supply- and demand- side of the health system for inclusion in a final report, scheduled for launch in Spring 2007. We are interested in learning about other incentive schemes that motivate health care providers and/or inspire better care-seeking behavior. If you know of any such interventions, please take a few minutes to complete our survey. You can also read more in a background paper prepared for CGD by Rena Eichler. For more information, please contact Jessica Gottlieb (jgottlieb@cgdev.org).

New Working Group on IMF-Supported Programs and Health Spending

CGD has launched a new Working Group to investigate how macroeconomic policies under IMF-supported programs have been integrated with the management of health expenditures in a context of scaled-up aid. The group has two broad goals: (1) to establish the facts about what actually happened under programs on the key issues where the IMF has been criticized; and (2) to make practical recommendations for improvements, which could be directed at the IMF, donors, or other stakeholders. A more detailed description can be found online, and two background papers, The Nature of the Debate between the IMF and its Critics and What Has Happened to Health Spending and Fiscal Flexibility in Low-Income Countries with IMF-Supported Programs, are currently in preparation and will be available soon.

HIV/AIDS Monitor Convenes the Global Fund Working Group

Under the auspices of the HIV/AIDS Monitor, CGD has convened a new Working Group on the future of the Global Fund. The background paper Key Challenges and Issues Facing the New Executive Director of the Global Fund: A Discussion Starter, provides a basic overview of the major issues facing the Global Fund; the Working Group's final recommendations for resolving them will be presented once the new Executive Director is appointed in November.

Mead Over and Jeremy Shiffman Join CGD

CGD warmly welcomes two research fellows. Mead Over joins us from the World Bank, where he has been serving as the Lead Economist of the Development Research Group. His work is focused on the economics of HIV/AIDS, including studies of its impact and of the cost-effectiveness of alternative prevention strategies. Jeremy Shiffman is at CGD on sabbatical from the Maxwell School of Public Policy at Syracuse University where he researches the political dynamics of health and population policy-making in developing countries. During his time at CGD, Jeremy will concentrate on a new book about public policy agenda-setting in global health.

Job Opportunity: Senior Program Associate for Global Health Policy

CGD is seeking a Senior Program Associate to manage and lead existing and new Working Groups, and participate in a range of research and outreach activities. The ideal candidate should possess technical expertise related to global pharmaceutical economics and/or aid effectiveness in health, with the scope of work dependent in part on skills, expertise and interests. To learn more about this opportunity, please see the full position description.

Owen Barder Leaves CGD, Returns to DFID

Owen Barder, who has worked with us for the past couple of years on Advance Market Commitments and other projects, has moved back to the UK, where he will be the Director of Global Development Effectiveness at the Department for International Development. Owen has been a valued member of CGD's staff, and we will very much miss his brainpower, good humor, commitment and energy.

Global Health Policy Blog

For ongoing news, updates and commentary about our own work and our partners' activities, I encourage you to visit and contribute comments to our new Global Health Policy blog, which discusses issues facing the donor community on everything from HIV/AIDS financing to pharmaceutical R&D to broader health systems concerns. Comments are encouraged, and suggestions for new posts can be sent to globalhealthpolicy@cgdev.org.

Thanks and regards,

Ruth Levine

Director of Programs and Senior Fellow

Center for Global Development