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Significant political, socio-economic, demographic and epidemiological changes
have occurred globally during the past decade. WHO needs to ensure that it continues to
make the greatest possible contribution to world health within this changing context. Thus, there is a need to reform the way WHO carries out its work.
Launched by Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, the Director-General of WHO, in 1999, the WHO
Corporate Strategy provides a strategic tool for WHO to do its work better,
do it more effectively and efficiently through collective and partnership
action.
The WHO Corporate Strategy is built upon the mission as
enshrined in its constitution and the values and principles of the Global
Health for All Policy reaffirmed by the World Health Assembly in 1998. It identifies four WHO strategic directions.
The 105 session of the WHO Executive Board (EB) has endorsed the WHO
Corporate Strategy (WHO EB 105/3, January 2000).
Based upon the Corporate Strategy and the regional and
country challenges and directions, WHO country
offices in the South-East Asia Region are now requested to develop a Country
Cooperation Strategy (CCS) for the period 2002-2005. The Strategy (CCS) aims
to set out the strategic health sector agenda and priority areas for WHO's support in the next four year period. The main
purpose of the CCS is to enable WHO to respond to country needs more
effectively and more efficiently (EB 105/2). In the process of developing the
CCS, the WHO country office has worked closely with a Regional level team of
3 professionals assigned specifically to Myanmar. A detailed background
paper analysing the national health situation and
past WHO collaborative programmes was developed jointly by the country office
staff and the regional level team during the period February – May 2000.
During the second half of June 2000, a CCS mission was undertaken by 1 WHO HQ
staff with health systems expertise and by the 3 professionals of the WHO
SEARO. Work was carried out together with the WHO country office staff – the
WHO Representative, Medical Officer (Public Health Administrator), two
National Professional Officers and one Consultant. The objectives and
expected outcomes of the mission in preparation of the CCS and methods of
work for its development were as follows:
Objectives:
1. To
understand key health and development policy issues.
2. To
have an overview of support provided by other development partners.
3. To
examine WHO's current strategy and programme of work.
4. To
identify processes and mechanisms for the organization to work as one WHO.
Expected Outcomes:
An outline of the country's health and development policy
issues and health priorities including support provided by other health
partners. WHO's current strategy, programme of work,
challenges and opportunities offered to WHO in the country. The priority
areas for WHO's support in 2002-2005.
The Method of Work:
From the outset, the formulation of the Myanmar WHO CCS
involved all levels of WHO i.e. Country Office, Regional Office and HQ. Preparatory work started in January
2000. An outline for the plan of work was
developed following a joint planning meeting between country and regional
team members and subsequently through inputs from HQ, CO and RO, coordinated
by the regional team. One very
important feature of the Myanmar CCS mission was the in-depth country
participation through a 4 day CCS seminar (19-22 June 2000). This was a strategically important process
in the view of assuring country ownership and contribution.
The seminar was inaugurated by His Excellency, Prof. Mya
Oo, Deputy Minister for Health and attended by 45 participants consisting of
high level national officials, UN agencies (UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF &
UNAIDS), bilateral agencies (AUSAID, JICA), International NGOs (Population
Council, AMDA) and National NGOs (MMA, MMCWA and MNCWA). The discussions
during the seminar and its outcomes (especially identification of criteria
for selection of priorities and health problems/issues identified for the
period 2002-2005) were found to be extremely useful in developing the WHO CCS
in Myanmar.
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