November 2016

This is the last in a series of four blog posts about the impact of leadership, management, and governance in strengthening health systems. See the full series on our blog.

Hurricane Matthew weakened Haiti’s already vulnerable health system when it struck last month, adding to the many challenges that the country’s government already faces in providing quality health services to its population.

Now, more than ever, Haiti needs strong leadership, management, and governance in the health sector to strengthen the system and ensure that its people have access to the care they need.

Even before the storm, the poorest nation in the western hemisphere was already facing political instability, the lasting effects of the 2010 earthquake, and an ongoing cholera epidemic, all of which seriously impacted the country’s health system.

This article was originally published on Devex on November 18, 2016

As finance advisers in global health, we are regularly in conversations with health ministers in low- and middle-income countries who have been charged with the commendable but daunting task of achieving universal health coverage for their citizens.

In other words, they must ensure that all people obtain the health services they need without suffering financial hardship when paying for them, with special emphasis on serving the poor and disadvantaged. Our conversations often boil down to some key questions: How much will it cost, who will pay, and how do we ensure that funds are used effectively and responsibly?

“We remember the hard times the women and girls of Douentza have experienced,” said Animata Bassama, a representative of the women of Douentza, referring to the fighting and ensuing gender-based violence (GBV) that plagued Mali in 2012.

Animata spoke to a crowd of 100 government officials, NGO representatives, health and finance officials, women’s advocates, and community members. A new center for GBV survivors, fortified by concrete and adorned in yellow and pink, was her backdrop. 

“And to the entire population of Douentza, we must unite in peace and understanding to effectively manage this center together,” she continued. 

In May 2016, the FCI Program of MSH, with funding from UN Women, opened a center next to the Douentza Referral Health Center to provide a safe space for GBV survivors to seek medical and psychosocial care, as well as temporary shelter.