Basic Health Services III Programme (HSJF)

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As part of the project, a new coordinated donor approach is being pursued in the health sector. To this end, the Malawian government (Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Health) and Germany, Norway, the UK and Flanders signed joint political declarations of intent in December 2015 for a Health Services Joint Fund (HSJF) and, at the same time, for more coordinated financial supervision in the health sector. Through the HSJF, major donors coordinate measures in the health sector more closely with each other and with the Malawian Ministry of Health, thereby achieving efficiency and cost advantages. At the same time, the financial management of the Ministry of Health is being strengthened through support measures. The HSJF is a coordination mechanism through which donor funds are channeled into defined packages of measures via joint non-governmental payment structures. In the HSJF, donors can allocate their funds specifically to individual measures (earmarking) and do not relinquish control over the allocation of funds. The funds from the FC measure will be earmarked for investments to improve health infrastructure (construction/rehabilitation of health facilities, purchase/repair of medical equipment), to procure vaccines and contraceptives, and probably to support health facilities as part of Results Based Finance (RBF), building on the experience of previous bilateral FC projects in the health sector. The measure contributes to the goal of the development cooperation program to improve universal access to and use of high-quality basic health services. The project is part of the development cooperation program to support the health sector in Malawi and is in line with the national health strategy HSSP II (Health Sector Strategic Plan II). The target group of the project are users of public health facilities and thus the entire population of Malawi, with a particular focus on the poor, women and children, as they are the main users of public health facilities. The FC share amounts to EUR 28.6 million with an estimated total term of six years.