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Why the restoration of ODA is crucial to the future of healthcare

25 November 2024

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Earlier this month, members of our Health Advocates Network, representatives of diaspora associations in the UK, and other supporters, wrote to the UK Prime Minister calling for an immediate restoration of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI), which we believe can support the Government’s mission to “build an NHS fit for the future”. 

With the passing of the new government’s first 100 days in office, the recent disappointing budget for the development sector at the end of October, and the forthcoming annual Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day on the 12th of December, there was no better time for us to write to No. 10.  

ODA is what is used by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to support the 4 strategic objectives of the government’s 2015 Aid Strategy. The objectives are as follows: 

  1. Strengthening global peace, security, and governance
  2. Strengthening resilience and response to crises
  3. Promoting global prosperity 
  4. Tackling extreme poverty and helping the world’s most vulnerable 

Put simply, ODA is government aid that promotes and specifically targets the economic development and welfare of Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Since 1970, the UN has had a target for countries to spend 0.7% of their GNI on ODA. In 2013, the UK achieved this target for the first time. However, in 2021, the then-government announced that ODA spending would be reduced due to the economic impact of the pandemic. It has remained at 0.5% ever since. 

The new Labour government has pitched itself as the party of internationalism who will restore the UK’s leading position on the international stage – an ambition we welcome but believe must be supported by the restoration of ODA to 0.7% of GNI.  

To the average British Citizen, the decrease of 0.2% to bring the overall ODA budget to 0.5% of GNI, won’t sound like a huge difference, but to put things into perspective when ODA dropped to 0.5% of GNI in 2021: 

  • After a decrease of 21% last year, UK bilateral ODA for health fell to £764 million, marking its lowest point since 2014. 
  • WASH fell to just £38million in 2023, a decrease of 82% since 2018 and its lowest level since 2009. 

In our letter, we provided Sir Keir Stamer with 3 key things the recommitment to 0.7% ODA would enable the UK to do better, namely: 

  1. Invest in Health Worker Education and Development  
  2. Rebuild the UK’s Health Partnerships 
  3. Support Ethical International Recruitment and Local Workforce Development  

Strengthening global health systems relies on high-quality training and education for healthcare workers everywhere. As health professionals with firsthand experience, the supporters of our letter know this is essential for building capacity of health systems and service delivery and thus meeting population needs. Restoring ODA would equip health workers with the skills to deliver quality care and tackle emerging health challenges. 

Equitable Health Partnerships are at the centre of our work, driven by the bi-directional exchange of knowledge to support capacity building in low-resource settings, while simultaneously informing and improving practice in the UK. Health Partnerships have significantly strengthened health systems around the world and foster sustainable long-term partnerships for improved global health security. Restoring ODA will ensure that the UK and its partners can benefit from shared expertise and resources, fostering a healthier future for all. 

The NHS has long been  reliant on the diaspora workforce in the UK, who we refer to as the Experts In Our Midst, bringing specialist knowledge and skills to the UK and acting as health diplomats as they move between health systems . While international recruitment helps address workforce shortages and brings  benefits, we must ensure it doesn’t undermine health systems in LMICs, instead building a strengthened global health system which works in our mutual interest. By investing in local training for health workers, we can tackle shortages at their source and ensure international recruitment does not exacerbate vulnerabilities in countries struggling with their own workforce shortages.  

This is why our call to the government is so important. We believe that restoring ODA to 0.7% of GNI is not only a moral obligation, but also a strategic necessity to protect the future of the NHS against shared global problems and to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to building a fairer, healthier, and more secure world.  

Global Health Partnerships, our Health Advocates Network, our supporters, and members of diaspora associations across the UK, stand ready to work with Sir Keir Stamer and his government to achieve these shared goals.  

This post was written by:

Koshesai Fundira - Policy and Events Officer

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