The principles of aid effectiveness and donor coordination drive the work of the Ministerial Leadership Initiative for Global Health (MLI). Dr. Ndack Ly, the MLI Country Lead for Senegal, along with focal points from all five MLI countries, participated in the 3rd Annual IHP+ Country Team meeting in Brussels in December 2010.

The meeting reviewed progress toward aid coordination and outstanding challenges that countries face. Delegations shared their experiences and identified lessons to help lead other countries to success. MLI is closely involved in the development of Senegal’s IHP+ compact, which made Dr. Ly a natural addition to Senegal’s delegation to the Annual meeting. To learn more, read Dr. Ly’s account of the discussions here.

The IHP+, or International Health Partnership and related initiatives, works with countries to mobilize donors around targeted national health strategies. Of the five MLI countries, Ethiopia, Mali and Nepal were early IHP+ signatories, and MLI is currently providing support to Senegal and Sierra Leone as they develop their IHP+ country compacts.

MLI countries use a variety of methods to achieve aid effectiveness. Ethiopia is one of the first countries to use the IHP+’s Joint Assessment of National Health Strategies tool. Nepal has pioneered a joint financing arrangement with its development partners. MLI is documenting this work by conducting one of the first studies of aid coordination units and identifying operational strategies to improve donor coordination efforts.

MLI is a four-year program that seeks to strengthen the leadership capacity of ministries of health in Ethiopia, Mali, Nepal, Senegal, and Sierra Leone to advance policy in three interrelated areas: health financing for equity, donor harmonization in health, and reproductive health. It is a collaborative effort between the Results for Development Institute, the Aspen Institute’s Global Health and Development, and the Council of Women World Leaders.