LNCT Steering Committee Meeting
April 23, 2019
Call participants: Irine Javakhadze, Ganiyu Salau, Logan Brenzel, Joanna Wisniewska, Ulla Griffiths, Sarah Alkenbrack, Grace Chee, Elizabeth Ohadi, Christina Shaw, Leah Ewald, Leah List
Action Items:
- Sarah to share the back office report from Lao Flagship course (completed)
Decision Points:
- The network-wide meeting will be held right outside of Jakarta and the site visit options will be BPJS and District Health Office and providers
- The country posters will focus on financing and resource mobilization
- The SC meeting will be held for a half-day on Saturday, July 6
Discussion Points:
Network-wide Meeting:
- Vaccine hesitancy may be beyond the NWW theme; but during and following the LNCT launch meeting in Geneva, most countries have repeatedly said they want to know more
- We need to remember that the transition focuses both on financial and programmatic aspects; value of LNCT is that countries can learn from each other. Vaccine hesitancy area has popped up in the last two years and partners have been trying to figure out the best way to approach this
- World Bank Flagship course in Armenia happening soon; the World Bank met with Armenia EPI manager recently and has done a review of how other countries are addressing hesitancy; in Armenia, the program was not aware of the financial risk and implications of health reforms
Immunization and UHC:
- Thailand would have great things to contribute. They actually have three types of health insurance working together as opposed to just an NHI
- Lao is doing pretty well in terms of increases in health financing, but challenges remain around budget allocation and PFM; the knowledge of health financing at sub-national level was pretty limited, so World Bank has tried to pitch the flagship course at a different level. The WB is following up through their project with disbursement linked indicators on immunization coverage and looking to provide technical assistance to some of the poorest performing sites.
- Armenia- also health insurance and immunization? Any comments or ways we can leverage each other’s work in this area? Perhaps Sarah could be a reviewer on some of the materials coming through.
- Right now, the government is in the process of what the reforms will be/what the model will be. There’s talk about moving to a single purchaser and they should have that decision figured out by May.
- It would be good if the countries prepare short presentation on how they budget etc. Irine can prepare 3-5 questions. She thinks it would be for the participant to present on these topics. Government financing processes, and state processes are very important issues.
- Location and site visit options:
- Majority of the SC recommends Jakarta due to easier logistics and access and the BPJS would make the most sense for a valuable site visit.
- Two posters might be a lot of the meeting. UHC and Immunization & the main meeting may be too much to ask. We should make sure we only ask for one.
- SC recommends that we ask countries to create their posters around financing and resource mobilization.
- Maybe we could have probing questions. When World bank met with Armenia for immunization manager, they said no financing challenges. Having probing questions e.g. “What do you think the impact of reforms would be on your country” would be helpful. Other parts of the network focus on financing aspects.
- Financing and mobilization more important. When we need increased allocation, we need finances and resources. Experiences with other countries will be very interesting for all.
SC Meeting following Network-wide:
- Priorities for 2020- it would be more helpful if SC looks at our priorities longer term (like 3 years) so countries can assess the performance. It would be a plan such that from time to time you can measure how the countries are faring within the 3 years rather than just one year. In Nigeria, for example, priorities are looked at in 3 years.
Next SC meeting will take place on July