Wemos Highlights 2022

Highlights 2022

Our study

our findings and recommendations

Akina Mama wa Afrika

of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) - the private sector arm of the World Bank Group - showed that it needs to increase its focus on health equity and universal access to healthcare. As a follow-up case study, with , we dove into the Africa Medical Equipment Facility, a blended finance facility in Kenya carried out by the IFC and co-funded by the Global Financing Facility. We concluded that it does not reach poor populations and fails to promote universal and equitable access to healthcare. During the Civil Society Policy Forum sessions in April and October, triggered the interest of several World Bank Group senior staff members and Executive Directors, with whom we shall continue the conversation.

The Africa Medical Equipment Facility in Kenya: Does this new blended finance facility contribute to equitable access to healthcare services?

Improving healthcare, but for whom?Inventory study on the international finance corporation’s investments in healthcare

Calling on the World Bank Group to focus on universal access to health

Policy brief and webinar:'The role of global health initiatives in health systems strengthening in Rwanda'

NUDOR.

There is still, however, a challenge to include vulnerable groups and their needs. Also, it might take considerable time and effort for the state to take over the financing and management of numerous health programmes from the 3Gs. We shared our findings and recommendations for the Ministry of Health in Rwanda, the 3Gs and other development partners in the global community.

(GFF)

The Global Fund

(Gavi)

, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations , and the Global Financing Facility - also called the ‘3Gs’ - are three major global health initiatives. In Rwanda, they are well aligned with national priorities for health and “leaving no one behind”. That is the conclusion of a joint study with our Make Way partner

Learning from alignment of the Global Fund, Gavi and the Global Financing Facility in Rwanda

Make Way programme

Make Way is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs with Wemos as lead organisation. Make Way partners are:

Tools for intersectional lobby and advocacy for SRHR

The aims to break down barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). We developed SRHR loby & advocacy tools, each with a different purpose – following the steps that make up an advocacy cycle. Their 'intersectional' character helps us understand people's overlapping vulnerabilities, e.g. relating to gender, religion, ability, ethnicity or social status, and how these affect their access to SRHR. Applying such a perspective ensures we leave no one behind.The tools are set out to increase and improve the capacity, skills and knowledge of civil society groups and organisations, enabling them to undertake game-changing lobby and advocacy to enhance sexual and reproductive health and rights, and inclusive health systems. The toolkit includes an 'Intersectional Community Scorecard' and an 'Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis'. More tools are under development and will be added to the toolkit next year.

Our reviews on the website are based on 5 key dimensions that offer guidance in achieving an equitable and effective pandemic response. We made an explainer video on how to apply these 5 dimensions.

covid19response.org

We launched , a website that provides an up-to-date overview of international initiatives by public institutions to enhance access to medical products during pandemics. It presents their characteristics and reviews their potential to contribute to an equitable and effective pandemic response. Among the assessed initiatives are the mRNA hub, COVAX and the Pandemic Accord.

Providing overview and review of initiatives for access to medical products during pandemics

motion

report

Wemos continued its advocacy for the sharing of intellectual property (IP), knowledge and data for the production of medical products during pandemics. This in order to increase global access to these products and self-reliance of low- and middle-income countries. We published a on the functioning of the Covid-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) of the World Health Organization (WHO), exposing what is needed to make pooling of IP, knowledge and data work. We shared our findings in webinars and dialogues with representatives from the WHO and governments from around the world. Earlier in the year, after lobbying from Wemos, the Dutch parliament adopted a that urges the government to commit to establishing a pooling mechanism in the Pandemic Accord.

Urging WHO and governments to commit to sharing IP and knowledge for medical products during pandemics

‘Financial Justice for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response’

For greater resilience against pandemics, the accord must include provisions to realise a strong health workforce, equitable access to pharmaceutical products and adequate finance for health. We also contributed to the report by Geneva Global Health Hub. It shows how to rethink health through an economic and financial justice lens and includes recommendations for the Pandemic Accord.

Photo by Edward Edion on Unsplash

Our call for a meaningful Pandemic Accord

Member States of the WHO are developing an international Pandemic Accord to prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics. In 2022, we called on all national governments to seize this moment as an opportunity to strengthen health systems worldwide.

Pushing governments to focus Pandemic Accord on strengthening health systems

Recording of the launch event of Pillars of Health

Pillars of Health coalition

Advocating an equitable distribution of health workforce in the EU through our Pillars of Health coalition

In May 2022, we launched the to build a coalition of EU-based organisations wanting to contribute to an equitable geographic distribution of health workers across the EU. We want the EU to support its Member States in addressing their health workforce shortages, since the health workforce crisis is an EU crisis. Throughout 2022, we called for structural investments in health workforce strengthening and an EU-wide approach to the crisis at multiple gatherings, such as the European Institute of Health and Sustainable Development (EIHSD) Conference at the EU Parliament in Brussels.

Webinar about the Medical Deserts Diagnostic Tool

(AHEAD)

With our partners in the project Action for Health and Equity: Addressing medical Deserts , we launched an innovative tool that maps medical deserts. The tool’s interactive maps show how far in the process of medical desertification certain regions in Italy, Moldova, the Netherlands, Romania and Serbia are. For example, it shows the number of general-practitioners in provinces in Italy, showing which areas are vulnerable to medical desertification and have limited access to health care. Policymakers and others can use the tool for evidence-based policy measures to address medical deserts and ensure optimal access to healthcare for all.Click on the map to the right to watch a video about the tool.

Identifying, tackling and preventing medical deserts with the AHEAD Medical Deserts Diagnostic Tool

When the Dutch Global Health Strategy was published in October, we shared our assessment, stressing the need for urgency, vigour, and resources in the further roll-out. We will continue to monitor its execution with special attention to the current gaps in addressing access to pharmaceuticals, and public-private partnerships.

our input.

Our assessment of the Dutch Global Health Strategy 2023-2030

After years of lobbying by Wemos and other civil society organisations, we were happy that the Dutch government started developing a Dutch Global Health Strategy. Throughout the year, we monitored the process and gave

Advocating a Dutch Global Health Strategy that ensures health justice

Since we started advocating structural change for global health justice more than 40 years ago, our logo has gone through several changes. This year, we sharpened our branding to better fit our positioning as solution-oriented partner in achieving health justice. Our new logo is lean and modern and still includes a globe, representing our focus on health worldwide. It has a tagline that better aligns with our mission: ‘Make health justice happen’. We already use the new logo on our online channels and new products. And, in 2023, we will launch a new website in our renewed brand identity, as well as a new Wemos Strategy for 2023-2027. Stay tuned!

New logo