Minutes, DPG Health meeting 7th January 2015, UNICEF Conference room

Present

  1. Sudha SharmaUNICEFDPG Chair
  2. Carol HannonIrish AidDPG H Incoming Chair
  3. Susna DeUSAIDDPG H Outgoing Chair
  4. Gradeline MinjaDANIDAMember
  5. Kimio AbeJICAMember
  6. Tadashi YasudaUNICEFMember
  7. Aurelie RighettiUNICEFMember
  8. Susanne GrimmGIZMember
  9. Lena HoeflingKfWMember
  10. Nadia HamelCanadaMember
  11. Lisha LalaDFIDMember
  12. Michelle RolandCDC/DPG AidsMember
  13. Eimear McDermottIrish AidMember
  14. Karen ZamboniIrish AidMember
  15. Leila CoppensUNICEFMember
  16. Catherine HakimCanadian CooperationMember
  17. Olivier PrazSDCMember
  18. Rose ShijaWHOMember
  19. Mary Mwanyika SandoUNICEFMember
  20. Rutasha DadiUNFPAMember

AGENDA

  1. Status of the Community Health Workers Initiative
  2. Welcome and Introduction of members
  3. Adoption of the Minutes + Agenda + Matters Arising
  4. Updates on SWAp events
  5. Update on RBA, UP Assessment and PAF indicators
  6. Updates on Global Fund
  7. Updates on Health Basket Fund: HBF, Audit sub-committee
  8. Critical issues from TWGs
  9. Update on key events/ missions
  10. AOB
  11. Next DPG-Health Meeting, 4th February 2015

Matters Arising:

Agenda / Action point / Responsible person/Agency / Status
CHW Initiative / Follow up on the discussion at last DPGH 7.01 (transition period: organisation, funding.) / DFATD
Updates on SWAp event: Reflection of 2014 JAHSR / Provide written and consolidated feedback to MOHSW on DPs reflection on the 2014 JAHSR / Troika /Carol
DPGh-DPG Aids dialogue structure / Follow up with CMO to set a meeting / Troika

Presentation:

  1. Status of the Community Health Workers Initiative

A presentation was given by Dr Tadashi Yasuda (UNICEF) on the Community Health Workers Initiative (ppt shared with DPs). The DPs were informed about the policy background and development of the Community Based Health Promotion Policy Guidelines, as well as the new CHW scheme which includes 3 arms: Community Health attendant; Facility based Medical Attendant and Social Welfare Attendant. This new scheme required the Medical Attendant Curriculum to be updated to operationalize CHW as health cadres(Health Aids) detailing the scheme of services and skills needed, the training modalities, the roles and responsibilities and career development.Of note, the new curriculum will last 1 year and be open to people with Form 4 education, which is not a minimum qualification required for all current CHWs. The new curriculumwas presented to DPs/stakeholders on December 16th, at a Syndication meeting,but the presentation did not fulfil all expectations (there are still some grey areas and challenges).

Discussion

The discussion focused on the transition period- from the current situation to the new scheme/curriculum: there are still many question marks on how the transition will be organised and funded. A stock tacking/mapping exercise of existing CHW/VHW should be undertaken to define what will happen with them, and a timeline designed for the transition period including major milestones. It seems that on top of the 1-year curriculum, a3-week training module will be developed and implemented for short term volunteers.Several questions were raised regarding the role of the DPs in this process:

-If we think the scheme is a good one, how do we as a group organize ourselves (cf pharmaceuticals) and support this process (pool resources)?

-Who are the experts in each agency who can contribute (technical inputs) to this initiative?

-MoH is expecting DPs to contribute to the short term strategy once the mapping exercise is done: what will be the short-term strategy? Should the troika meet with MoH/MoF/POPSM to discuss more in-depth on the aforementioned issues?

Main DPG-H meeting:

  1. Welcome and Introduction of members

The Chair welcomed all participants and wished them all a very happy new year. Followed a round of self-introduction.

  1. Adoption of the Minutes+ Agenda + Matters Arising

Minutes: accepted with a minor amendment. The Chair reminded the DPs to fill the NHA tool.

Matters arising from last meeting were reviewed:

- Funds were secured for the next TDHS survey, the process will start soon and a technical meeting will tentatively be convened on January 13th. It has yet to be defined whether micronutrients status will be measured for this survey.

- A verbal feedback was provided to MOHSW about the 2014 JAHSR – consolidated written notes have yet to be shared.

- FP indicator: status not clear. RBA report: USAID tried to follow-up with WB without success until now, but they will further try.

  1. Updates on SWAp events:

HSSPIV

The Zero Draft report should be available next week and a consultative meeting is planned for January 20th- 21st.

DPs-GoT Joint Field visit:DPs have received the tentative schedule per email and were asked to confirm their participation to the field visitby today/tomorrow morning the latest.Irish Aid, UNFPA, SDC, DANIDA (tbc by tomorrow), GIZ, USAID, UNICEF, WHO confirmed their participation.

  1. Updates on RBA, UP Assessment and PAF indicators

No updates (see matters arising).

  1. Updates on Global Fund (GF): GF Concept Note

Few updates. Management committee reviewed 5 regional proposals and good panels of reviewers were identified.

The Country Portfolio Manager for Tanzania is visiting Tanzania on January 19th, as well asa senior level staff from USAID/WB(to be confirmed) to meet jointly with MoF PS. HIV AIDS trust fund will be discussed on January 27th at the Parliament.

  1. Updates on HBF

Negotiations are still ongoing on the new MoU. A small task team met before Christmas and today to discuss how to draft the MoU. Zero Draft should be ready by 19th January. The new MoU shall include an indicator of performance.All DPs interested are invited to the next meeting on Friday 9that Irish Embassy. Lavina/WB is now coordinating the HBF. The Permanent Secretary of MOHSW called a meeting of basket partners in response to the letter written by the basket partners and explained the position of MOHSW. There was very little opportunity for discussion, and some issues still remain unclear. He also informed the DPs of the plan to screen for Prostate Cancer.

The Audit subcommittee met in December: several agenda items were postponed, e.g. the discussion on MSD debt. GoT was asked to present on PFMRP at a next meeting.

  1. Critical issues from TWG

A 2-week workshop will take place end of January to finalize, among others, the Health Care Financing Strategy.

SMART national nutrition survey: preliminary resultsare available. It will be presented to and endorsed by the high level steering committee for nutrition, following which it will be disseminated. The dates for HLSC meeting should be confirmed soon.

RMNCH trust fund (administered by UNFPA) will provide 12 Mio to support implementation of the Sharpened One Plan (not yet specific). The details of implementation will be discussed when the GoT colleagues are back from their holidays.

DFID raised the issue that FP commodities are not going down to facilities and that GoT is not funding any more commodities and totally depending on DPs support.

PPP and other TWGs met in Bagamoyo Mid-December for developing their new Strategic Plan, which will feed in HSSPIV.

  1. Update on key events/upcoming missions

Zanzibar JAHSR postponed to 28-29th January.

Pending request to CMO to meet and discuss the dialogue structure (DPGh-DPGAids)

  1. AOB:

Ebola: renovations of the lab in Mbeya are ongoing; training of 2 people will follow; discussions are still ongoing about the renovation of the isolation unit in Temeke (funding issue): it seems there was some misunderstanding. Next task force meeting on January 8th.

BRN report not yet shared; not clear when it will be available (launch event by the President is tentatively planned for the last week of January).

PEPFAR:2 new PPP initiatives coming from Washington are to be implemented in Tanzania: 1) Accelerating Children’s HIV/AIDS Treatment (ACT) initiative to double thetotal number of children receiving life-saving ART over 10 countries in Africa over the next 2 years; (2) DREAMS initiative to decrease HIV incidence in girls and young women by 25% within 2 years. Each initiative has a total funding of 200Mio USD. Next steps include mapping other stakeholders’ engagement. PEPFAR is also engaged in assessing how to level domestic funding to ensure the sustainability of these initiatives.

New appointments at the MOHSW:Mr Bernard Konga has been appointed Director of Policy and Planning, Dr Janet Mghamba as Assistant Directorof Epidemiology, Dr Eliakimu as Assistant Director Quality Assurance,Dr Dorothy Gwajima asAssistant Director of Public Private Health Facilities, Dr Neema Rusibamayila confirmed as DPS.

  1. Next meeting:Wednesday, February 4th, 2015 at UNICEF at 12:00pm

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