From the Report
Building from Common
Foundations:
The World Health Organization and Faith-Based
Organizations in Primary Health Care
The Reverend Canon Ted Karpf
Office of the Director-General
Partnerships and UN Reform
World Health Organization
Setting the Context
 Widespread health challenges in communities around the
world include: Malaria, Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, child
survival, diseases exacerbated by climate change
 Revival of the primary healthcare model within WHO as
vertical silos tend to isolate diseases and mitigate against
system-wide solutions
 Primary Health Care offers the potential for greater
breadth and effectiveness in treating, caring and
prevention, by including FBOs
 WHO to rejuvenate dialogue and partnership with FBOs
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Building from Common Foundations - April 2008
Key Findings of ARHAP Report 2006
 FBOs provide at least 40% health care in developing
countries
 FBOs offer a wide range of treatment, care and
prevention activities, along with social development and
spiritual support services
 FBOs Often more closely aligned with community needs
 FBOs offer a range of assets and resources that could
strengthen primary care health system
 FBOs can function in accordance with WHO priorities and
primary healthcare principles
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Building from Common Foundations - April 2008
Dilemmas and Complexities
 Religious mission connects with health services through the
value of compassion and commitment to decency, but can
be linked to evangelism, which is negative to government
 Issues of morality can cause tensions with some health
interventions and strategies
 Some faith groups tend to rely on a voluntary or more
‘amateur’ models of service delivery
 FBOs are challenged by standards and norms set by WHO
and government ministries
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Building from Common Foundations - April 2008
Basis of Common Interest
 Roots of Alma Ata found in Christian Medical Commission
and collaboration with WHO
 An holistic approach to health and well-being - founded in
values of compassion and decency
 Benefits of partnership: economy of effort, consistent and
quality of care, community-based community-driven
interventions
 A track record of experience with WHO for six decades
through a variety of health interventions
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Building from Common Foundations - April 2008
WHO Charter – Health Principles
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social
well being and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity.
The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of
health is one of the fundamental rights of every human
being without distinction of race, religion, political belief,
economic or social condition.
The health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment
of peace and security and is dependent upon the fullest
co-operation of individuals and States.
The achievement of any State in the promotion and
protection of health is of value to all.
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Building from Common Foundations - April 2008
Areas for Collaboration & Partnership
 Potential to:
• deliver quality services valued by community and government
• narrow gaps in national health planning programmes and
systems
• support and manage a coordinated network of FBO and other
community health assets
 FBO must work in systems of accountability:
monitoring and evaluation must be part of them
 Opportunities for developing more comprehensive
community-based health systems
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Building from Common Foundations - April 2008
Ways Forward
 Engage in dialogue with faith communities and institutions
among government and international organizations
 Provide guidance for the engagement with religious health
assets in international and national health system planning
and programming
 Engage FBOs when developing national health plans
 Opportunity to spearhead pilot programmes of health
system re-engineering
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Building from Common Foundations - April 2008
Ways Forward continued
 Develop the concept of primary health care consensus
 Promote constructive relationships between FBO and
government
 Develop relationships among Faith-Based Development
Agencies and governments & international organizations
 Support FBOs and FBDAs to develop proposals to:
• Support health financing
• Ensure recruitment and retention of staff
• Establish monitoring and evaluation frameworks
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Building from Common Foundations - April 2008
Conclusions
 Much can be achieved in renewed interaction and
cooperation between WHO and FBOs
 Clear, long-term commitment to dialogue and
collaboration and mutual learning
 Next steps
• A road map developed with stakeholders
• Embark together
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Building from Common Foundations - April 2008
Thank you
Together:
The objective of the World Health Organization shall be
the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible
level of health.