Our work in the Maldives

Our work in the Maldives

World Health Organization (WHO) has been providing technical assistance to the Government of Republic of Maldives to strengthen the country’s public health system since 1965. The main thrust of the WHO’s current work in the Maldives is to support the government in its health reform processes and strengthening its health systems. Our on-going collaboration with the Maldives is outlined in the Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) 2024-2029

The strategic priorities and the focus areas of the Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) were designed for WHO’s engagement to complement the health system development efforts of the government and provide demand-driven policy and technical support. The WHO country cooperation will support mainstreaming of the SDGs into the national plans and enhance their implementation process to address the new health challenges including environmental and social determinants of health. 

 

 

 

CCS Cover

Maldives-WHO Country Cooperation Strategy 2024-2029

 

The Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) is framed around the WHO General Programme of Work (GPW), specifically GPW 13 and GPW 14, and the WHO South-East Asia Regional Director’s priorities and addresses the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At the same time, it is anchored in the national development priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Assistance Framework (UNSDCF) that has been formulated to support countries on the road to progress with the SDGs. The current CCS builds on the recommendations of the final review of the CCS in 2018–2022. It identifies a set of agreed joint priorities for WHO collaboration, covering those areas where WHO has a comparative advantage in order to ensure public health impact.

The CCS will be implemented in three biennial operation plans, developed with the implementing partners. The implementation of the CCS will be monitored biennially and jointly by WHO and the Ministry of Health (MoH). The CCS has three mechanisms to ensure that the progress towards the outputs and outcomes is on track and the results are achieved. This includes biennial monitoring, midterm review and final evaluation.

CCS Strategic Priorities: 

- Reduced risk factors, disease burden and disability

- Realization of universal health coverage (UHC)

- Resilient health system effectively responding in emergencies

 

Five strategic priorities of CCS 2024-2029

Addressing social, economic and commercial determinants of health

Empowering communities, promoting health across diverse groups, ensuring continuity of care at the community level, and advocating for gender, equity, human rights, and disability (GERD)-integrated policies. Key actions include enforcing health-promoting laws, scaling up impactful interventions, creating climate-smart and inclusive environments, addressing malnutrition, ensuring the safety of food, water, and air, and fostering multisectoral efforts for mental health and the prevention of communicable and noncommunicable diseases.

Building health system resilience towards emergencies and health threats

Enhancing collaborative surveillance and risk assessments, establishing climate-smart and disaster-resilient health facilities, and improving IHR (2005) core capacities through the National Action Plan for Health Security. Key priorities include bolstering laboratory capacities, strengthening health emergency operations, improving hazardous waste management, and advancing emergency medical and ambulance services at national and subnational levels.

Investing in quality-assured Primary Health Care

Reforming health services to deliver essential service packages for all, strengthening primary care in urban settings, and building the capacities of PHC teams. It also involves fostering transformative partnerships, ensuring the safety and quality of essential health services, and sustaining progress in health coverage and achievements.

Addressing the unmet health needs of vulnerable groups

Providing tailored health services for foreign migrants, the elderly, adolescents, youth, and perinatal and neonatal populations. It includes early detection and rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities, as well as specialized care for individuals with mental illness, chronic diseases, inherited disorders, and substance use disorders.

Strengthening health system performance

Developing and retaining a competent local health workforce, ensuring professional competency, and implementing evidence-based policies with robust monitoring and evaluation. Key actions include advancing digital health aligned with Maldives’ enterprise architecture, fostering health research and knowledge management, reforming health financing for equity and efficiency, ensuring the quality of medicines, vaccines, and services, and enhancing national capacity to prevent and combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR).