Minutes, DPG Health meeting 7th June 2017, Embassy of Switzerland

Present

  1. Thomas TeuscherSwiss EmbassyDPG H Chair
  2. Norzin GrigoleitGerman EmbassyDPH Incoming Chair
  3. Carol HannonIrish EmbassyDPG H Outgoing Chair
  4. Leticia RweyemamuWHODPG H Secretariat
  5. Fin PoulsenDANIDAMember
  6. Gradeline MinjaDANIDAMember
  7. Stine Vest NielsenDANIDAMember
  8. Helene ProbstDANIDAMember
  9. Dr. Susanne GrimmGIZMember
  10. Pascal KanyinyiKfWMember
  11. Madani ThiamCanadaMember
  12. Kira ThomasCanadaMember
  13. Dr. Richard Banda WHO Member
  14. Dr. Matthieu KamwaWHO Member
  15. Dr. Theopista JohnWHOMember
  16. Dr. Ritha NjauWHOMember
  17. Siobhan MaloneGates FoundationMember
  18. Ana Bodipo-MbuyambaUSAIDMember
  19. Brian RettmannPEPFARMember
  20. Britt HKjolasNorwayMember
  21. Nina SiergetP4HMember
  22. Dr. Warren NaamaraUNAIDSMember
  23. Marie EngelUNAIDSMember
  24. Marianna BalampamaSwiss EmbassyMember
  25. Suma MbatianiKOICAMember
  26. Della ShinKOICAMember
  27. Hyunsun KimKOICAMember
  28. Dr Sudha SharmaUNICEFMember
  29. Hawi BedasaUNICEFMember
  30. Dereck ChitamaMUHASGuest

AGENDA

  1. Presentations: (i) Results Based Financing Updates (ii) U-Report
  2. Welcome and Introduction of members
  3. Adoption of the Minutes and Agenda
  4. Updates on SWAp events
  5. Critical issues from TWGs/Thematic Areas
  6. Updates on key events
  7. A word of thank you-DPG H Chair/Outgoing Chair
  8. AOB
  9. Next DPG-Health meeting, 9thAugust 2017 at 12pm at Umoja House

MATTERS ARISING/ACTION POINTS:

  • Health Budget speech: WHO to present summary of the details of the budget in August DPG H meeting.
  • DPG H retreat:to be held between August – September 2017.
  • Farewell for DPs who have completed their mission in the country: to take place on June 23rd, 2017.

Presentation 1: U-Report: an innovative approaches to youth engagement in Tanzania

The U-Report presentation was made by UNICEF to inform DPs on this innovation which is a multi-channel platform for youth engagement on issues affecting them. It is a free of charge platform where the youth engage in discussions through weekly polls questions by using sms. The platform is governed by the steering committee which is composed of the government and CSOs. UNICEF works with youth organisations which enrol young people from urban and rural areas into the platform. About 102,633 young people in Tanzania have been reached so far. Most young people are between 15-24 years of age, female representation is 37% with Swahili being the language of the platform. They collaborate with the University of Dar es Salaam where there are youth seated to respond to their peer’s specific questions. There is also high level support from both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibargovernments particularlythe Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Labour, Youth and people with disability where the reports are shared and discussed to address youth challenges. The U-report can be a game changer for adolescents. More information on the U-Report is found at DPG-Health website:

Discussion:

DPs commended UNICEF for their presentation, they also wanted to know how the topics are developed where it was responded that it is a balance of what comes from the young people and what the steering committee suggests. With regard to cyber-crime, they have not yet experienced any problem. On the number of users that are engaged in discussions, it depends with the topic and the feedback that is taken to the youth.

Presentation 2: Results Based Financing Updates

Presentation on the process assessment of the RBF pilot project in Kishapu district in Shinyanga region was made by the assessment team member, Dereck Chitama from MUHAS. The RBF started in 2015 and the assessment took place last year 2016. The objective of the assessment was among others, to assess the implementation of RBF in the first pilot district (Kishapu) against RBF design document and operations manual. The assessment findings revealed that most principles and good practices in terms of RBF design were realized including paymentbased on outputs, payment for quality indicators andhealth facilities have the right to withdraw and use funds according to their needs. The challenges that were noted are such as implementation at higher levels including at CAG and NHIF, and at the local level where private facilities feel that they are left out.The MOHCDGEC was also expected to present on the implementation progress of the RBF but did not manage to attend the meeting.More information on the Assesment findings and Implementation progress of the RBF is found at DPG-Health website:

Discussion:

It was clarified that the assessment was based on one pilot district, Kishapu, and that the idea was to look at the design and implementation of the pilot project and inform the scale.

Main DPG-H meeting:

  1. Welcome and Introduction of members

The meeting was chaired by the DPG H Chair who welcomed all members to the meeting, followed by a round of self-introductions. WHO Representative a.i., Dr. Matthieu Kamwa introduced himself to the group and encouraged DPs to continue moving our common agenda forward.

  1. Adoption of the Minutes, Agenda and Matters Arising

Minutes of the previous meeting were approved and Agenda for this meeting was adopted.

Matters arising from the previous meeting:

  • PFM TWG focal point:The ToR has been revised and they are working with the HF TWG to identify areas of collaboration.
  • NHA tool:MOHCDGEC has shared the list of donors who have submitted the NHA data. DPs were encouraged to submit the data as it helps the Ministry to know how much is spent on health.
  • SWAp TWGs meetings: Troika are still in discussion with the Ministry to ensure that they are convened.
  1. Updates on SWAp events:

Health budget speech:DPs who participated in the budget parliament session were able to provide first-hand information to the MOHCDGEC, the Ministry was in forefront of health and gender and there was good participation of partners in the sector. The Minister presented the budget very well focusing on the areas where the Ministry has direct influence ranging from the national to zonal hospitals. The MPs were not satisfied with the funding for MOH for example, on the current budget they were disbursed only 43% of the total budget allocated. There is a need for a broader discussion with higher level on the lower execution of the budget. Issues of availability of essential medicines and HRH were also pointed out. Also, the Ministers for Health and PORALG explained their roles to the MPs who were not very clear with it. However, language barrier was noted as the session was run in Swahili. It was recommended that information on the budget should be shared early enough to allow partners’ contribution to the Minister’s budget speech. WHO was requested to give a summary of the budget details in the next DPG H meeting. It was also proposed to invite SIKIKA to present on health sector budget analysis.

  1. Critical issues from TWGs/Thematic areas:

Health Financing TWG: PFM and HF TWGs will meet to identify common areas of work. More updates are uploaded on the DPG H website.

RMNCAH:They met on April 6th and agreed to have their meetings after every two months.The next meeting is tomorrow 8th June 2017. Donors mapping will be discussed in the meeting. WB will also conduct donors and partners mapping of those supporting upgrading of health facilities. RMNCAH Trust fund has come to an end but the funding will be distributed through GFF.A concern was raised that it is not yet known what would be the technical support of the GFF implementation, and that there is a huge gap on information sharing on the GFF implementation and coordination from the MOH hence, a need for GFF report sharing mechanism. RMNCAH scorecard has started. MOH anticipates inadequate funding for family planning commodities, they requested partners support but they were advised to conduct funding gap analysis and share with the partners.

HBF:HBF partners met with PORALG and MOH to discuss how Direct Facility Financing (DFF) will operate. The government is willing to roll out the DFFto all regions beginning July 2017. They are currently planning to conduct training on how to run the DFF. Sixteen regions will be capacitated to implement the DFF. Resources will be mobilized for the training of the remaining 10 regions. There will be a meeting of HBF partners to discuss broadly on DFF operations. There is a need to find out if private facilities at health centre and dispensary level will receive the DFF money. The Side Agreement is scheduled to be signed at the BFC on 28thJuly 2017.

Global Fund:The concept note for Zanzibar has been approved. On Tanzania Mainland, the HIV/TB and Malaria concept notes have received comments from the GF. Each disease was encouraged to contribute resources for resilient health system. The GF has requested for information on how HBF works in Tanzania and the concept behind it.

DPG AIDS: Key population guidelines have been signed, but the MOH has not made plans to publicly announce. Two elements that were not included in the new guidelines were lubricants and drop-in Centers. The guidelines also have a greater emphasis on facility based services and community programs are meant to have close ties with those facilities. DPG AIDS coordinated a meeting with relevant implementing partners to determine if services are back on track. In that meeting was noted that, in particular, civil society partners were unsure if they were able to proceed with the implementation of the programs, but following the meeting, they should begin services.

DPG Nutrition: Child health days are on-going in the regions. Public Expenditure Review on nutrition has started.

DRC Ebola update:Five cases have been confirmed since 11th May when the outbreak occurred and over 600 cases have been traced. The case fatality rate stands at 50%. Public awareness continues and so far there are no travel restrictions. Countries are currently looking on their plans for ebola. There is also another outbreak in DRC which is vaccine derived polio type 2. There will be a campaign on the Eastern part of Tanzania because the country stopped using type 2 last year 2016.

  1. Updates on key events/Upcoming events
  • New WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hasbeen elected by the Member States, he will assume his office in July 2017.
  • The Elders Secretariat wants to meet with DPs next week at Irish Embassy. Carol Hannon will communicate the date and time. Following this, Mary Robinson and Graca Machel mission will be in July 13th – 14th, 2017. They will have meetings with the government and visit health facilities in Dodoma. The theme will be on universal health coverage.
  • DMO/RMOs Conferencewill take place in July 2017.
  • DPG H Retreat: to be done between August – September 2017 when DPs are back from holidays. Farewell should be done this month 23rd June 2017 for those who are leaving: Dr Sudha Sharma, Carol Hannon, Janean Davis, Marianna Balampama and Dr Warren Naamara.
  1. A word of thank you from the DPG H Chair and Outgoing Chair

The DPG H Chair on behalf of the members expressed gratitude to Carol Hannon and the Irish Embassy for their leadership in the health sector and to the DPG H. The Chair recommended DPs’ engagement in dialogue with other emerging partners. The Outgoing Chair stressed on the need for reflection of the usefulness of the DPG H group especially now when the MOH moves to Dodoma because not everyone will move to Dodoma. How we work will be most challenging but we need to find ways of making it work. The Outgoing Chair on behalf of the members acknowledgedthe Chair and Swiss Embassy for their contribution and leadership to the group.

  1. AOB
  • Dr Warren Naamara (UNAIDS): informed the DPG H that this will be his last meeting as he has completed his mission in Tanzania. He thanked all members for their professional friendness and that his successor will arrive in July 2017.
  1. Next meeting:

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 9thAugust 2017 at 12.00pm at Umoja House.

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