Individual Consultancy: Qualitative Research on the Regional Framework for Reaching the Unreached (2022-2030) (Албания - Тендер #49484632)

1. BACKGROUND

RTU is a global and regional health policy priority aligned with health-related SDGs by 2030. It is built on the principle of universality and aims to ensure that no one is left behind.

The Region has seen remarkable progress on important global and regional targets for HIV, TB, malaria, neglected tropical disease, polio, hepatitis B and measles. However, ending and eliminating many of these endemic diseases continues to be challenging. This is mainly because health systems continue to miss significant numbers of people with these disease conditions in all countries and not only in countries with weak health systems. In addition, inequalities in the social determinants of health, viz., income, education level, gender, ethnicity, and geographic location, cause inequitable access and health outcomes among different population groups across the Region. In recognising that progress has not equally benefited all population groups in the Region, countries are now striving to achieve the ambitious global universal health care (UHC) targets and complete the business of preventing and eliminating morbidity, mortality and disability caused by these diseases by 2030.

Countries must adopt an integrated systems approach to reach the unreached and ensure universal health care. They need to use this approach to strengthen the three core elements of primary health care, viz., health systems and services, community and people empowerment and multi-sectoral actions to address socio-economic determinants and barriers. These three core elements are the same as the three priority action areas for reaching the unreached. To do all this, it is essential to identify the unreached populations and the reasons for not reaching them. In addition, we must identify and use local, cost-effective grounds up solutions for that purpose.

2. PURPOSE/SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THE ACTIVITY

This consultancy aims to conduct qualitative research on the Regional Framework for Reaching the Unreached (2022-2030) to understand the challenges, opportunities and success stories of reaching the unreached (RTU) for ending and eliminating diseases in the Western Pacific Region.

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