 Programme of Work (Day 2) |
DAY TWO: 20 June, 2008
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Session 4 |
| 9:00 – 10:30 |
Achieving Health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Africa: The Role of National Health Insurance Schemes |
| Chair |
Ms. Servus Sagday, Director, Poverty Eradication Unit, Ministry of Finance, United Republic of Tanzania |
| Presenter |
Moses Ikiara, Executive Director, KIPPRA |
| Rapporteur |
Mr. Adrian Gauci, ECA |
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The health MDGs are proving very problematic for most countries in Africa. Indeed, the low ranking of most African countries in UNDP’s Human Development Report rankings is attributable to the very poor health status of most Africans. For example, in all countries, there has been very little improvement in maternal mortality. Immunization coverage remains small. Overall, health inequalities are large. This calls for interventions to kindle and accelerate progress on the health MDGs. One such intervention is health insurance. This Session will be based on the background paper on national health insurance schemes prepared by Prof. Germano Mwabu. The paper links interventions to health outcomes and explores effective mechanisms for financing the intervention. The ECA analytical report, “Mainstreaming health equity in national development strategies” will provide context to the discussion of strategies to finance health MDGs.
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| 09:30-10:30 |
Discussion |
| 10:30-11:00 |
Coffee break |
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Session 5 |
| 11:00 – 13:00 |
The role of sub-national jurisdiction- Open forum |
| Chair |
Dr. Ahmad Desouky Mohammed Esmaeil, PARC, Egypt |
| Presenter |
Oumar Diallo, ECA |
| Rapporteur |
Adrian Gauci ,ECA |
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For a variety of reasons and driven by different forces, many African countries, have in the recent past, initiated and implemented various forms of decentralization of administrative and economic responsibilities. These range from strengthening of the autonomy of federating units in countries with Federal constitutions to deepened decentralization of government structures in countries with unitary constitutions and to fiscal decentralization in all irrespective of constitution. Decentralization is seen as a means not only for promoting and advancing national unity in the context of multi-ethnicity but also as a means of remedying “government failure” and of improving the provision of public goods and services to improve citizens’ welfare. Evidence is scant on the role of sub-national jurisdictions in efforts to achieve the MDGs. In view of the responsibilities devolved to sub-national governments, it is clear that their actions and the policies that they pursue, especially their tax and expenditure policies, can have a demonstrable impact on growth and development and on the rate of progress towards the internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs. |
| 11:30-13:00 |
Discussion |
| 13:00-14:30 |
Lunch Break |
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Session 6 |
| 14:30 – 16:30 |
African Learning Group-The PRS/MDGs-LG: Way forward |
| Chair |
Prof. Yaw Nyarko, Department of Economics, New York University, NY, NY, USA |
| Moderator |
Mr. Richard Humphries, HSRC, South Africa |
| Rapporteur |
Adrian Gauci/Oumar Diallo, ECA |
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This session pulls together the discussions and sets a concrete plan to revamp the African Learning Group with the clear roles and agenda for all stakeholders involved. |
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| 16:30-16:45 |
Coffee Break |
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Session 7 |
| 16:45-17:00 |
Closing of workshop |
| Presenter |
Kasirim Nwuke, ECA |
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| June 21
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Departure |
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