1.1.4 Countries’ health governance capacity strengthened for improved transparency, accountability, responsiveness and empowerment of communities

Health systems governance involves stewardship and leadership. The WHO Secretariat develops norms and standards to support and strengthen country capacities in different political contexts. WHO supports Member States to develop the required legal and policy frameworks, advises on public administration and institutional performance, facilitates whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches (including the private sector and civil society), and supports work on accountability oversight and realizing the right to health. 

Delivering this output includes the Secretariat’s work on health security and governance and convening a great range of stakeholders through networks – including the Health Systems Governance Collaborative, the Country Connector for Private Sector in Health, the Global Network on Anti-corruption, Transparency and Accountability and the Social Participation Network – which aim at advancing governance in reorienting health systems towards universal health coverage using a primary health care approach while promoting equity and well-being. 

The importance of inclusive and participatory mechanisms to trust, responsiveness and community ownership and empowerment has been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic – and the variable response to it – and they are essential to reaching the triple billion targets of the GPW 13 (extended to 2025) and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Work to deliver this output involves close collaboration on the provision of health services based on primary health care strategies (output 1.1.1), financing strategy development (output 1.2.1), the health workforce (output 1.1.5), capacity strengthening for emergency preparedness (output 2.1.2), synergies with social determinants of health work (output 3.1.1), addressing environmental determinants (output 3.3.1) and creating an enabling environment for healthy settings (output 3.3.2.), as well as the governance aspects of all outputs that contribute to achieving the triple billion targets and the focus on equity, gender and human rights (output 4.2.6).