Biomaterial Database

A three-pronged approach to advocacy for sustainable national funding. 2014

Karen Hoehn

Independent international development and management consultant, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: karen.hoehn@gmail.com.

By and large, the financial commitments 179 nations made to the family planning and reproductive health components of ICPD in 1994 were not kept. While donors ramp up support for civil society advocacy in developing countries, in hopes of improving national funding and outcomes, recent trends in advocacy evaluation leave unanswered the broader question of whether/how international campaigning can appropriately and effectively strengthen national-level decision-making. This article provides background regarding the challenges in monitoring developing country contributions; summarizes current donor initiatives to strengthen civil society advocacy; and reviews theoretical approaches to assessing advocacy. The author identifies major advocacy limitations and proposes a three-pronged approach to harmonize international and national advocacy messages for improved, sustained increases in health funding and outcomes, namely, that local accountability is paramount, that national health programmes must be designed as legally binding entitlements, and that pro-health values and norms must be strengthened.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D003254	Consumer Advocacy	The promotion and support of consumers' rights and interests.	Public Advocacy,Advocacies, Consumer,Advocacies, Public,Advocacy, Consumer,Advocacy, Public,Consumer Advocacies,Public Advocacies
D003906	Developing Countries	Countries in the process of change with economic growth, that is, an increase in production, per capita consumption, and income. The process of economic growth involves better utilization of natural and human resources, which results in a change in the social, political, and economic structures.	LMICs,Less-Developed Countries,Low Income Countries,Low and Middle Income Countries,Lower-Middle-Income Country,Middle Income Countries,Third-World Countries,Under-Developed Countries,Developing Nations,Least Developed Countries,Less-Developed Nations,Third-World Nations,Under-Developed Nations,Countries, Middle Income,Countries, Third-World,Country, Least Developed,Country, Less-Developed,Country, Low Income,Country, Lower-Middle-Income,Country, Middle Income,Country, Third-World,Country, Under-Developed,Developed Country, Least,Developing Country,Developing Nation,Least Developed Country,Less Developed Countries,Less Developed Nations,Less-Developed Country,Less-Developed Nation,Low Income Country,Lower Middle Income Country,Lower-Middle-Income Countries,Middle Income Country,Nation, Less-Developed,Nation, Third-World,Nation, Under-Developed,Third World Countries,Third World Nations,Third-World Country,Third-World Nation,Under Developed Countries,Under Developed Nations,Under-Developed Country,Under-Developed Nation
D006291	Health Policy	Decisions, usually developed by government policymakers, for determining present and future objectives pertaining to the health care system.	Health Care Policies,Health Policies,Healthcare Policy,National Health Policy,Care Policies, Health,Health Care Policy,Health Policy, National,Healthcare Policies,National Health Policies,Policies, Health,Policies, Health Care,Policies, Healthcare,Policy, Health,Policy, Health Care,Policy, Healthcare
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D016730	Program Development	The process of formulating, improving, and expanding educational, managerial, or service-oriented work plans (excluding computer program development).	Program Descriptions,Description, Program,Descriptions, Program,Development, Program,Program Description
D060728	Reproductive Health	The state of the REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM when functioning optimally without evidence of disease, disorders, or deficiencies.	Health, Reproductive
D061889	Healthcare Financing	Methods of generating, allocating, and using financial resources in healthcare systems.	Health Financing,Financing, Health,Financing, Healthcare,Financings, Health,Financings, Healthcare,Health Financings,Healthcare Financings
D038622	Internationality	The quality or state of relating to or affecting two or more nations. (After Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed)	Globalization,International Aspects,International Perspectives,International Relations,Multinational Aspects,Multinational Perspectives,Aspect, International,Aspect, Multinational,Aspects, International,Aspects, Multinational,International Aspect,International Perspective,Multinational Aspect,Multinational Perspective,Perspective, International,Perspective, Multinational,Perspectives, International,Perspectives, Multinational,Relations, International