Devex: Opinion: Governments must fund global health security commitments
Dulce Pedroso, manager at Palladium

“…[D]espite clear evidence of the economic harm epidemics can wrought, the future upfront funding of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), a multilateral initiative to tackle global health threats, remains uncertain. … In the short and medium term, the implementation of global health security processes will still be donor-reliant. But at the same time, we need to ensure that plans align with national budgets in order to facilitate the eventual transition to domestic funding. We also must ensure that all strategies support governments: enabling them to manage health security more effectively and giving them the opportunities to work closely with civil society. Ultimately, it is the government which is accountable for success or failure. Comprehensive costing and impact assessments can draw attention to where urgent national priorities and the security agenda intersect. This intersection can serve as a starting point for resource mobilization and governance support, where donors fund critical infrastructure while governments progress towards universal health coverage in a virtuous cycle; one that can keep the world safer and people healthier” (4/6).