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Guidance Note on Health and Development

On November 24, 2009, the technical advisory services of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the new ‘Health and Development: A Guidance Note to Danish Development Assistance to Health'. This note will inform and inspire Danish support to the health sector as well as to research for health in the foreseeable future.

The previous Danida health policy dates back to 1995. It was decided that the policy needs to be updated taking into consideration the Paris Declaration, the increase of available funding, the impact of the HIV epidemic and the disease burden transition, the number of large health sector programmes, and the focus on budget support.

The drafting process was initiated by TAS in 2008 and piloted by an external consultant. Members of the Network participated in the technical background group of the guidance note.

At the same time, a process to draft a Guidance Note on Research for Health and Development was initiated. Although Danida for years has funded capacity building for research as well as direct grants to individuals and groups undertaking health related research ranking from malaria vaccine development to reproductive health among marginalised groups, there has never existed a strategy on research for health. Such a strategy has been called for by researchers and health advisers alike.

Members of the Network participated also in the technical background group of this initiative. The document ‘Danish support to research for health' can be found as an Annex 5 to the Guidance Note on Health.

Read the document 'Health and Development: A Guidance Note to Danish Development Assistance to Health'.