Global Health Organizations and Health Policy Overview Global Health Organizations Health Policies Shaping Global Health Policy Global Health Organizations • Global health organizations are usually divided into three groups: 1. Multilateral organizations 2. Bilateral organizations 3. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) Global Health Organizations • Multilateral means that funding comes from multiple governments as well as non- governmental sources. • The World Health Organization (WHO) is the premier international multilateral health organization. WHO is a intergovernmental agency related to the United Nations. Global Health Organizations • Bilateral agencies are governmental agencies in a single country which provide aid to developing countries. • The largest bilateral agency is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Global Health Organizations • Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can also be referred to as private voluntary organizations (PVOs). These organizations are usually quite small and are often ran by church- affiliated or missionary societies. • The largest NGO devoted to international health in the United States is Project Hope, with an annual budget of over $100 million (IMVA, 2012). Health Policies • Health policy can be defined as the "decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific health care goals within a society.“ According to the World Health Organization, an explicit health policy can achieve several things: it defines a vision for the future; it outlines priorities and the expected roles of different groups; and it builds consensus and informs people. Health Policies • Many global health programs give a percentage of funds to support the implementation of health policies. Health Policies • Funding for malaria control risen from US$300 million in 2003 to an estimated US$2 billion in 2011. This massive increase was made possible by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and commitments from the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, the UK Department for International Development, UNITAID, the World Bank, and other bilateral and multilateral agencies (Amy J, PH 2011). Shaping Global Health Policy • The community sector and non-profit organizations can shape global health policy and programs by supporting and advocating for change and engaging/creating community networks. ...