Resilient Health Systems Lessons from Ebola
DÉSIRÉ ASSOGBAVI Head of Oxfam Liaison Office to the African Union
16 April 2014
About Oxfam
Our vision is a just world without poverty. We want a world where people are valued and treated equally, enjoy their rights as full citizens, and can influence decisions affecting their lives.
Leyla, 76, working in her rice field, Malawi.Credit: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam Page 2
Scoop of my Presentation About Oxfam
Why do we need a Strong Healthcare System?
The 6 Essential Elements of a resilient Health
System Finance a resilient Healthcare System?: by Save
the Children… Page 3
Oxfam is About •
Finding practical & innovative ways for people to lift themselves out of poverty and to end injustices that cause it
• Work with citizens, communities, governments and
intergovernmental bodies to ensure that poor people can improve their lives and livelihood and participate in decisions that affect them • We are a global confederation working together with partners in
more than 90 countries including 38 in Africa – 10,000 Staff • We spend more than 1 Billion USD annually on humanitarian,
development programs, research, campaign and advocacy • Our response to Ebola: $35 Million = Liberia, Sierra Leone…
Over 1.1 Million covered = WatSan + Hygiene Material Page 4
Why do we need a resilient Healthcare System?
„When Ebola came, one woman was having her baby at home. It died because there was nowhere to go, no hospital. We need a hospital here. We need a health system.‟ Elizabeth Cuffy, Fundaye Community, New Kru Town, Liberia. Credit: Renata Rendón/Oxfam Page 6
Why Do We Need a Strong & Resilient Health Care System? Weak Health Care system gives easy way to outbreaks such
as Ebola Universal access to healthcare will reduce the threat from
Outbreak and epidemics and other to spread so quickly The best defense against such killer diseases is a Resilient
Healthcare UHC, vital to
improve health outcome
and Prevent
thousands of unnecessary deaths each year The risk of having Ebola back is 30% in 1 year & 50% in 2
years For a more equal society we need Health not Wealth Page 7
The 6 Essential Elements of a resilient Health System  Adequate number of trained health workers + non-clinical
Staff +Community health Workers

Available Medical Supplies (medicine, diagnostics and vaccines) : through changing the global system for stimulating research and development to ensure incentives beyond those based on intellectual property, and through building functioning drug supply chains.
 Robust Health Information System: Need to provide
evidence for health planning, resource allocation and impact assessment. Page 8
“Before, people would do their own medicine at home.
Now people come to us to hear about other sicknesses like cholera and malaria, and we talk to them about immunisations for the children to keep good health.�
Moses, Community Health Volunteer
Betty Kruah (pink top), Moses Dahn, Helena Dahn are community health volunteers Nimba county in eastern Liberia. Credit: Melanie Kramers/Oxfam Page 9
The 6 Essential Elements. Cont
Adequate number of well equipped and accessible Health
facilities including access to clean water and sanitation: Geographical access, capacity for quality service, connection to functioning referral facilities, WASH A Strong Public Sector for an Equitable & Quality Service
Adequate Financing… : Examples (Oxfam): Universal
Primary Care in Sierra Leone = $419 M/year - Liberia =
$279M/year – Guinea Bissau = $132M/year – FFD Page 10
?
A one-room clinic providing health care to 11,000 people in Nimba, Liberia
Credit/Melanie Kramers/Oxfam
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merci ! Contact: Desire.Assogbavi@Oxfaminternational.org Blog: assodesire.wordpress.com
Tel.: +251 911208332