Strategy on health care financing for countries of the Western Pacific and South-East Asia Regions (2006-2010) (Resolution)

WPRlRC56.R6 REPORT OF THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE STRATEGY ON HEALTH CARE FINANCING FOR COUNTRlES OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA REGIONS (2006-2010) The Regi.onal C.ommittee, 13 Noting that adequate, stable, equitable and effective health care fmancing IS essential f.or achieving better health .outcomes; . Rec.ognizing that many countries and areas need t.o review critically their health care financing arrangements and devel.op strategic p.olicy opti.ons intended to w.ork towards the goal .of universal coverage of necessary health services .of assured quality; Noting that health systems in Asia and the Pacific are complex and diverse and therefore no single model of health care financing is suitable for all countries and areas, which are in different socioeconomic development stages; Accepting that there is a need to maintain and when p.ossible increase health investments and public spending on health to scale-up essential health interventi.ons affecting the poor and vulnerable; Acknowledging that health care financing policies and strategies can improve financial protection for the population by reducing vari.ous forms of direct out-.of-pocket payment and strengthening risk-sharing and fund-pooling through prepayment financing options; Recognizing that the availability and use of accurate and reliable health care financing data and information are essential for effective policy formulation, implementation and monitoring, 1. ENDORSES the Strategy on Health Care Financing for Countries of the Western Pacific and S.outh-East Asia Regions, 2006-2010;1 2. URGES Member States: (1) to use the Strategy and other available sources and information on health care financing as references for developing and improving national policies and strategies on health care financing where appropriate; (2) to use the Strategy and other available sources and information .on health care financing as appropriate, when preparing short- and medium-term national socioeconomic development plans and actions at national and subnationallevels; (3) to collaborate with all stakeholders and development partners, including the private sector, at country and intercountry levels in formulating and implementing health care financing strategic actions; 3. REQUESTS the Regional Director: (1) to support Member States to improve health care financing policies using the Strategy and other available s.ources and information on health care financing as appr.opriate, in line with nati.onal socioeconomic development policies and programmes; (2) to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, information, experience and evidence of effective health care financing arrangements among Member States; I The annex of document WPRlRC56/9 Rev.1. 14 REGIONAL COMMmEE: FIFTY -SIXTH SESSION (3) to advocate with national stakeholders, partners and development agencies for more effective investments in health and better resource coordination and utilization; (4) to report back to the Regional Committee on the implementation of the strategy. Eighth meeting, 23 September 2005 WPRlRC56/SRl8 WPRlRC56.R7 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH The Regional Committee, Recognizing rapid economic development and its impact on the environment and health in the Region; Noting the magnitude of the health impact of environmental risk factors, particularly indoor and urban air pollution, unsafe water and poor sanitation; Observing that these environmental risks are responsible for a large portion of child mortality and ill-health in both rural and urban areas; Recognizing that climate change is affecting the health and lives of people in the Region, especially in Pacific island countries and areas; Acknowledging that there are common environmental problems that can be addressed by countries and areas through collective action; Recalling international declarations related to environmental health including but not limited to Agenda 21 of 1992, the United Nations Millennium Declaration of 2000, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation of 2002, Water for Life Decade for 2005-2015, and the conventions on the management of chemicals and wastes,l climate change/ and biodiversity/ I. ENCOURAGES Member States: (1) to strengthen human resources and institutional capacity in environmental health risk assessment and management; (2) to establish and strengthen, where appropriate, multisectoral coordination mechanisms and organize regular forums on environmental health; (3) to identify priority environmental health risks and develop national and local action plans to reduce these risks; (4) to increase health sector input to the implementation and monitoring of international declarations and agreements related to environmental health; I Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade; Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants; Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. , United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. J Convention on Biological Diversity.