• Home
• What We Do
• Where We Work
• Resources
• News
• Data
• About

Health Systems Integration

Health Systems 20/20, a five-year (2006-2011) cooperative agreement funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), offers USAID supported countries help in solving problems in health governance, finance, operations, and capacity building. By working on these dimensions of strengthening health systems, the project will help people in developing countries gain access to and use priority population, health, and nutrition (PHN) services. Health Systems 20/20 integrates health financing with governance and operations initiatives. This integrated approach focuses on building capacity for long-term sustainability of system strengthening efforts. The project acts through global leadership, technical assistance, brokering and grant making, research, professional networking, and information dissemination.

Why Health Systems

The delivery of all health services, including the priority PHN services, depends on the underlying health system. To combat malaria, TB, HIV, and maternal and child health problems, the health system needs adequate and appropriately allocated financing, inclusive decision making and accountability, and financial and human resource management systems that deliver inputs when and where needed. A smoothly functioning health system maximizes the delivery of effective and life-saving technical interventions.

Seeing the Health System More Clearly

An exclusive focus on technical health interventions sometimes leads to fixes, patches, and “work-arounds” on health systems issues in order to deliver chosen interventions within a certain timeframe. A more holistic view of the health system allows the underpinnings of all services to be improved, and for the improvements to be made in a way that makes them more sustainable. Health Systems 20/20 takes the holistic approach to the health system by addressing its weaknesses comprehensively—attending to the technical areas of financing, governance, and operations while building sustainable capacity for addressing system issues.