Australian Foreign Minister, The Hon Stephen Smith MP honours the work of the High Level Taskforce on Innovative International Financing for Health Systems at the United Nations on 23 September 2009.
(as delivered)
Australia is honoured to be a member of the High Level Taskforce on innovative health financing, and I congratulate Gordon Brown and Bob Zoellick on their leadership in this essential endeavour.
Australia will contribute $250 million over 20 years to the expanded International Finance Facility for Immunisation, to help the world’s poorest countries deliver better health care to their people.
We are pleased to be a partner in this innovative financing mechanism, which enables long-term financial commitments to be converted into substantial funding for better health outcomes now.
This will support large-scale rather than small and incremental investments in health and accelerate progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals, including for child and maternal health.
Australia recognises the importance of enduring partnerships between developed and developing countries in building health systems that deliver.
For example, Australia is implementing a debt-for-health swap arrangement with the Indonesian Government and the Global Fund, valued at A$75 million, focussed on malaria prevention and treatment.
As the High Level Taskforce report stresses, it is important to support credible health policies and strategies with funding certainty.
In this context, I congratulate the Prime Minister of Nepal on his commitment to action on health. He asked for a certain and predictable commitment.
I would like to respond with a commitment on behalf of three of Nepal’s key development partners - Australia, the United Kingdom and the World Bank.
Together we will provide funding of US$190 million for a new five year health sector program in Nepal focusing on achieving results for the most poor.
I thank the members of the Taskforce and those developing countries who have made clear commitments today to improve the delivery of health services to their people.
Thank you.