EU Health Cheque: A review of the European Comission’s support to the health MDGs

This report is a review of the European Commission’s contributions as a donor to achieving the health MDGs and an assessment of the impact of its official development assistance and development policies. The lessons in this report can be used to make health ODA more efficient and impactful so it delivers greater results for the SDGs.

This review of the health aid from the EU has found:

1. EU health aid is low and its contributions do not match its economic capacity.
2. A lack of transparency remains an issue and there are discrepancies and anomalies in the official reporting of EU health aid.
3. There is a need for more predictable disbursements. Predictability of aid is particularly crucial in health where service provision levels are so dependent upon recurrent costs.
4. Better data on health ODA is critical. Without data disaggregation it will not be possible to target support and interventions to those who thus far have been left behind.

The report identifies five areas to improve the effectiveness of EC aid to health in the future:

1. The priority afforded to development assistance for health.
2. Support for middle income countries must continue.
3. Fragmentation must be avoided.
4. Budget support must be bolstered to create strong health systems.
5. Policy coherence for development must be stronger.