Highlights of the IANPHI Executive Board Meeting

The IANPHI Executive Board (EB) held a virtual meeting on August 30, 2022. IANPHI President Duncan Selbie welcomed EB members and chaired the meeting.

IANPHI President Duncan Selbie welcomed EB members, the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the IANPHI Regional Networks, the representatives of the IANPHI Foundation, the IANPHI Offices staff, IANPHI Strategic Adviser and guests of IANPHI-member national public health institute. The quorum to vote on the decisions was reached with seven members in attendance out of fourteen, in addition to two proxies. 

1. IANPHI Collaboration with Ready2respond

The Executive Board was presented with the activities of “Ready2respond”, an initiative hosted at the Task Force for Global Health. Based on the existing Memorandum of Understanding between IANPHI and the Task Force (see the presentation), Ready2respond proposed to build on the existing relations and develop a common outcome - “Adult respiratory programs are a top priority in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs)”.

By joining forces with IANPHI and the Task Force, Ready2respond seeks to prepare the joint proposal for funding organizations, focusing on the following areas.

1.  Vaccine programs capacity building in low and middle-income countries
2.  other specific areas of interest to be jointly developed and include 
   • burden of disease: health and economic burden of respiratory infections 
   • vaccine access: operational solutions to enhance planning and procurement of vaccines.

Decision: The IANPHI Executive Board members will follow up on the cooperation between Ready2respond and IANPHI by mail after exchanging questions and answers with its representatives.

2. IANPHI Investment Approach

In order to successfully implement IANPHI’s principal mission and build a global public health capacity, the association needs additional resources. Supporting our members will not be possible without external funding to implement the IANPHI Action Plan 2022-2023. The members discussed the investment approach over two Executive Board meetings (including an extraordinary meeting on August 4, 2022) prepared by the consultant S. Lynes. Several detailed documents based on an analysis of different fundraising approaches and possibilities were presented, followed by internal consultation and consultations with stakeholders. These included a detailed description of the selected approach, a roadmap, the example of investment case, and a pitch deck to approach donor organizations. After a long series of questions and answers, the agreement on certain principles as careful scrutiny of the conflict of interest between possible donors and the means of approaching them was reached.

Decision: The Executive Board approved the list of all principles and decisions regarding the proposed investment strategy, with the modification to exclude recruitment of a fundraiser to seek funding on behalf of IANPHI. The description of the core group will also exclude the same position of an expert in fundraising.

Decision: The Executive Board has agreed to submit suggestions of contacts with senior individuals in donor organisation to broker introduction and representatives to constitute a core group for implementing the investment strategy for IANPHI 

3. IANPHI and WHO Country Office in Iran Collaboration

The Institute of Public Health Research of Iran has been a member of IANPHI for many years. Given the very complex situation within the country and IANPHI’s general goal to support NPHIs and create better health systems and public health in countries in general, a collaboration between IANPHI and the WHO country office in Iran was envisoned as an appropriate manner to support the NPHI in Iran and share IANPHI expertise. When the context does not allow direct support to an NPHI and public health in other countries with similar situations, the Executive Board will use this adopted approach when relevant.

Decision: The IANPHI Executive Board approved the cooperation with the Institute of Public Health Research of Iran through the WHO country office in Iran.

Decision: The IANPHI Executive Board approved the establishing of a set of principles for working with NPHIs in countries with specific political context (e.g. sanctions) and adopting an approach of cooperating with the WHO country offices as a proxy.

4. Call to Participate in two G7 Technical Meetings

As laid out in the G7 Health Ministers’ Communiqué, ministers agreed on concrete actions to foster better health solutions for the G7, as well as for all people. The Team G7 of the Pact for Pandemic Readiness planned several follow-up meetings for the second half of the German G7 Presidency within the health track. Two technical meetings will be dedicated to the follow-up process on the G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness. The Pact represents a coordinated approach to strengthen and align efforts for worldwide pandemic readiness focusing on the two key areas of Collaborative Surveillance and Public Health Emergency Workforce for Predictable Rapid Response. Considering that IANPHI Presidency and several other NPHI representatives will be present in Berlin for the World Health Summit and presentation of the Integrated Disease Surveillance (IDS) project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, additional network representatives are required.

Decision: The Executive Board agreed that IANPHI will be represented in both G7 technical meetings.