Global health partnerships are a specific grouping of global public-private partnerships (GPPPs) which promote cooperation between state and non-state actors both from the national and international level and contribute to the funding of global public goods and the development of a “new public finance.”
Global Health Partnerships have progressed rapidly in recent years to become substantial new actors in the financing and implementation of global health programming. In the last three years European action through global health partnerships and agreements has increased substantially, including: a multi-year framework convention between the Foreign Ministry and the French Red Cross, the Oslo Ministerial Declaration, the charter for international cooperation in the field of oncology. And the International Health Partnership and Related Initiatives (IHP+), which represents a significant tool for international development cooperation.
More on European Action in Global Health Partnerships
Further Definitions
Framework convention between the French Foreign Ministry and the French Red Cross:
In 2006 French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy and Jean-François Mattéi, president of the French Red Cross, signed a multi-year framework convention between the Foreign Ministry and the French Red Cross. The convention is designed to strengthen the international aspect of the latter’s activities by granting the French national society and the health services of the armed forces permission to use the red cross emblem. Signing this convention demonstrates a shared commitment of the signatories to international solidarity to assist victims and promote a true “humanitarian space” in areas of conflict.
Oslo Ministerial Declaration:
In March 2007 the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, France, Indonesia, Norway, Senegal, South Africa and Thailand, came together to declare global health as one of the most pressing foreign policy issues of our time. The Ministers agreed on the need to increase awareness of common vulnerabilities in the face of health threats and to take action by bringing health issues more strongly into the arenas for foreign policy discussions and decisions, in order to strengthen commitments to concerted action at the global level. They committed their nations to build bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation for global health security by strengthening the case for collaboration and brokering broad agreement, accountability and action. Furthermore the group reinforced health as a key element in strategies for development, for fighting poverty and necessary in order to reach the Millennium Development Goals. With respect to foreign trade, the Ministers agreed to work to ensure that a higher priority is given to health in dealing with trade issues and in conforming to the Doha principles, affirming the right of each country to make full use of TRIPS flexibilities in order to ensure universal access to medicines. Finally, it was also agreed to strengthen the place of health measures in conflict and crisis management and reconstruction efforts.
For this purpose, the Ministers prepared a first set of actionable steps for raising the priority of health in foreign policy putting these forward in an Agenda for Action. The group pledged to pursue these issues in their respective regional settings and in relevant international bodies. And invited Ministers of Foreign Affairs from all regions to join in further exploring ways and means to achieve these objectives.
The charter for international cooperation in the field of oncology:
The charter was signed between the Government of France and civil society actors in March 7. The charter builds a partnership between the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the French Ministry for Health and Solidarity, the French National Cancer Institute (INCa ) and an array of concerned civil society organisations (Cancer Without Borders, the National League Against Cancer, Physicien Medical sans Frontieres, Alliance mondiale contre le Cancer (AMCC), and the International Union Against Cancer). The charter sets out the objectives, organization and means of operating of an international oncology cooperation network.
After several centuries dominated by the scourge of major pandemics and transmittable diseases, exposure to new risk factors linked to food, the environment, and individual and collective behavior is contributing to what is called “the epidemiological transition.” This phenomenon, initially seen in the most developed countries, has reached emerging countries and now concerns the majority of populations, including in developing countries. Among the 8.5 million new cases of cancer in the world, nearly 60% concern the emerging middle-income countries. The fight against cancer is a global public health issue and demands a multidisciplinary approach requiring the mobilization of large numbers of professionals in different walks of life.
France has in this area a vast array of services offered by statutory bodies, public and private, which serve as an international reference. Grants from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and INCa will make it possible to continue to offer expertise and training in oncology to study groups from outside the EU.