Tanzania has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with six Development Partners (DPs) on Health Basket Fund (HBF 2015-2025) worth 531bn/- with focus to improve and increase performance of the health sector in the country.
The DPs are Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The 2015-2020 HBF also intends to promote achievement of the Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP) IV targets by increasing resources in the sector in order to reach underserved populations with essential, effective and affordable services that will contribute to effective decentralization and enhance delivery of quality primary health care.
Speaking shortly after signing the MoU, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Donan Mmbando, said the signing and implementation of HBF 2015-2020 MoU will attract more development partners to join the project.
“I am pleased to announce that this year, development partners have allocated 80bn/- to the health sector through the new health basket fund arrangement of which 65bn/- will be directed to the Local Government Authorities (LGAs) to enable better delivery of quality primary health care services,” he said.
He added that HBF also marks a continued joint commitment to improve health care services delivery and the health of the Tanzanian people.
Speaking on behalf of development partners, Irish Ambassador to Tanzania, Ms Fionnuala Gilsenan said the 2015-2020 HBF marks not only a continuation of past collaboration but also a new approach of support that has been made to deliver better results to the Tanzanian people.
She said, for the past few years there has been development of new important initiatives in the health sector aligned with the global momentum for results-based financing and attention to value for money.
“Several initiatives with strong focus on improving outcomes through rewarding performances have been launched including the government’s efforts to transition from low to middle-economy by 2015, big results now initiatives as well as new health sector strategic plan,” she elaborated.
According to her, all these financing strategies are aimed at reaching all households with quality, essential health and social services by 2020.
“This is an ambitious goal, however, we are confident that the new design of the health basket fund will serve its purpose well by building on momentum around other results-oriented initiatives, it will also take a results-based approach and incentivizing all implementers,” she said.
She added that development partners also empower the Prime Minister’s Office Local Government and Regional Administration (PMORALG), Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and council health management teams to plan according to the needs of their communities.
Source : http://allafrica.com/