Opening Remarks at Civil Society Consultative Meeting on HSSP III

Representatives from MoH
Representatives from CSO on HPACs;
Representatives from CSO
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to this Civil Society Consultative Meeting on the Draft Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP III).

Thank-you for honoring our invitation and we hope that we shall continue this partnership. This meeting has been organized by AGHA and UCOBAC. AGHA is a health rights advocacy organization, recently appointed the CSO representative on the IHP+ Taskforce. UCOBAC focus on vulnerable children and mobilizes communities to participate in health related decision making.

This is a historic day for all of us! For the first time, we as CSOs have organized ourselves together to strategically review and provide input into a key policy document in the health sector.

This meeting builds on a meeting organized on March 10th 2010 for the same purpose for a select group of CSOs that reviewed the first draft of the HSSP III from a health and human rights perspective. While some of the recommendations of the last meeting have reflected in the New Draft of HSSP III, the majority have not. There is still opportunity to influence the development of this policy document especially because next week on the 26th and 27th, the MoH had organized a TRM which will be attended by our representatives on HPAC and its TWG.

Three points I want to communicate in these opening remarks.

1. To the Ministry of Health particularly, CS is not a homogenous entity. CSO are diverse, have varying mandates and modes of working. Some CSOs are in direct service delivery, others are involved in capacity building activities for communities, others are in advocacy, and others involved in monitoring. It is imperative for MoH to understand and appreciate the diversity within CSO bearing in mind their different roles and unique contribution to the sector. Important to remember is that CSOs represent you and me, in organized groups and form an important resource for M & E, and for promoting public accountability in the use of public resources. Civil Society represents the voice of the communities, the public and even the very civil servants who work in MoH who cannot voice their concerns publicly.

2. To the CSOs gathered here today-lets us participate actively. We have been provided an opportunity to review HSSP III and provide strategic input. Please let us make the best of the day. Ask questions to MoH officials and to our representatives on HPAC and the TWGs. As we deliberate throughout the day, let us bear in mind our differences and respect diversity in skills, knowledge, capacity and ability to engage. This meeting is also meant to support and strengthen the capacity of CSOs to understand and engage in Policy process. Our differences should enrich and add value to the discussions. HSSP III is our document, and MoH is merely playing a stewardship role in putting it together. At the end of the day we want this document to reflect our voices and the voices of the people we represent and not the thoughts of a Consultant.

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3. As CSOs, we need to step up efforts to get coordinated so we can work better with Government. We need to build our mutual capacity to participate in and engage in policy processes. In the new IHP + arrangement, we as CSO will have specific roles to play in holding Government and HDPs accountable if they fail to fulfill their obligations. Let us become very well versed with the Content of HSSP III, today and after it has been approved and endorsed by Government, so that in future we shall be equipped to play our monitoring role and effectively promote mutual accountability between Government and Donors.

With these few words, you are welcome once again to this meeting.
I wish you fruitful deliberations.