PAHO Working group on the Millennium Development Goals

Terms of reference:

This working group will developan institutional policy and operational strategy for work related and contributing to the Millennium Development Compact and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and help ensure their implementation.

The working group will ensure and support:

policy coherence related to MDGs throughout the organization,

integration of the MDGs into the BPB 04-05 and other key planning instruments,

synergy, harmonization and coordination of the work on the MDGs in house and with country offices,

interface of the MDG approach with organizational strategies to scale up health systems and strengthen essential public health functions,

the establishment of a MDG network throughout the organization.

Existing program activities and networks throughout the organization must become an integral part of PAHO’s MDG effort. The working group will contribute to mainstreaming the MDGs throughout PAHO and will encourage as many programs as possible to have the attainment of the MDGs as part of their program vision and strategy as well as committing to an integrated effort to achieving them. This networked structure will be supported by an MDG intranet and the MDG strategy group in the DPM’s office.

It will be essential that PAHO be seen to visibly, actively and creatively engage in reaching the MDGs in the PAHO region.

Membershipof the working group:

The working group will consist of key professionals in the organization at different levels who have a key technical and strategic role in achieving the MDGs, as well as other Areas to ensure the horizontal integration of the key MDG areas with national health development, strategic alliances, and monitoring.

Goal 1, target 2: Halve hunger / Hernan Delgado
Goal 4, target 5: Reduce under-5 mortality / John Andrus
Yehuda Benguigui
Goal 5, target 6: reduce maternal mortality / Ricardo Fescina
Goal 6, target 7: HIV/AIDS / Carol Vlassof
Goal 6, target 8: Malaria, TB and other major diseases / Pilar Ramon-Pardo
Keith Carter
Goal 7, target 10: Safe drinking water / Luiz Carlos Soares
Goal 8, target 17: Access to essential drugs / James Fitzgerald
Human resources / Monica Padilla
Health systems and social protection / Eduardo Levcovitz
Primary health care / Hernan Montenegro
Monitoring / Enrique Loyola
Partnership and strategic alliances / Philippe Lamy
Healthy municipalities and local and urban development / Maria Teresa Cerqueira
Country support / Beverley Barnett

Other working group members may be added as the country needs arise more clearly. It is essential that the working group members will have the vision, the technical knowledge and the will to work on mainstreaming the MDGs throughout the organization and will focus on the critical actions needed for achieving concrete results at the country level.

The PWR will serve as the MDG in each country officeand a mechanism will be established by which the country offices can be deeply involved in the deliberations of the working group.

Method of work

The MDG working group will meet regularly under the chairmanship of the DPM to discuss policies, ensure the harmonization of strategies and approaches and assess progress. It will make explicit reference to the different levels of PAHO’s work on the MDGs: with other UN agencies, with other partners, at subregional lvel, at country level.

The Director PAHO will meet with the MDG working group at regular intervals to give direction and receive reports.

Convener: DPM

Secretariat: The Secretariat of the Working group will be the MDG strategy team in the office of the DPM, headed by the senior advisor.

1

February 2004