Health campaignStrategy plan

GMC-CC meeting, 13 April 2007Washington D.C.

Index

1. What’s the problem?2. What’s missing?3. What do we focus on?4. What will we try to achieve?5. How will we try to achieve it?6. The public face of the campaign

What’s the problem? Over 10 million children (0-5) die each

year unnecessarily; Million of children fail to grow up healthy

and to achieve their potential because of preventable ill health;

The preventable death and ill-health of children negatively influence their development and that of their countries.

What’s missing? There is enough knowledge => the

problem is not technical; There are sufficient resources to prevent

the senseless deaths => the resources needed are affordable and they have been already committed;

There are agendas, commitments and calendars established => the problem is not about not knowing what to do…

What’s missing? The problem is lack of political will and

accountability. There is no public awareness and outrage on the

scandal of child mortality; If leaders fail to deliver, nothing happens to

them; The voices of children are not heard.=> Most alliances and partnerships focus on

advocacy and supporting governments to deliver. No campaign exists to mobilise children and the public to pressure governments.

What do we focus on? Generate enough public pressure to

ensure that governments in South and North deliver on their promises with respect to the health of children;

Creating a global movement for children’s health that unites the voices of children and people;

Engaging selected leaders as champions for child survival.

What will we achieve?1. 50 million children of at least 60 countries

of the North and South join their voices, holding the duty bearers to account for their right to health in the most powerful global child call ever;

2. Children engage with key actors in eliminating the barriers to the realisation of their right to healthcare in 40 countries;

3. 15 national Southern governments invest at least 15% of their national budget for health by 2010;

What will we achieve?

4. Donor governments increase their investment in health by 2010;

5. World Economic Forum, Clinton Initiative and other key global influencers cover the issue of child mortality and child health from 2009.

=> The focus is on generating pressure and accountability.

What will we achieve?This effort should result in: Saving lives: meet MDG4 on reducing by

2/3 child mortality in targeted countries; Better quality of life through improved

access to health services; Processes established in targeted

countries that allow children to hold duty bearers accountable;

Progressive implementation of the right to health.

How will we achieve it?1. Generating public pressure at key

decision moments: Mobilise the public where possible/appropriate

to put pressure on leaders to follow through with their promises

Raise awareness of the issues at key moments through:

a) events, petitions, letters, demonstrations…b) Print media, audio/visual media, social media

(Internet), advertising, viral emails, marketing, celebrity support

c) Score-card report of HoS on their performance in health investment in their mandate

How will we achieve it?

2. Creating spaces for children’s participation and for their voices to be heard and magnified:

Week of action on the right to health (November 20th);

Global health survey; by and of children regarding the obstacles that they face;

Support child-led organisations to advocate for their right to health.

How will we achieve it?

3. With a sophisticated lobbying approach to accessing key world leaders and their closest advisors:

Engage selected Heads of State and key academics in championing the issue of child survival.

The campaign’s public face

The difference between ‘advocacy’ and ‘campaigning’ is public engagement. If we don’t need the public to get behind our calls,

we don’t need a campaign.

Is a campaign needed?Why are 10M children left to die every year? Attitudes in decision-making arenas that children had little

intrinsic value. That they were worthless, even disposal; People do not hold governments and donors accountable

for their promised funding on health for children.

So, what’s needed? What would make a difference? The public to tell decision-makers that children do matter,

and are valuable; Children and the public to hold their governments and

donors accountable and pressure them to follow-through on funding health services.

=> We therefore need a campaign! Member agencies could not hold governments and donors to

account on their own; The Campaign would be a ‘force multiplier’, would amplify the

effect of the work of all other partnerships for health.

The campaign should thus: Promote the worth/value of children – by putting

them at the centre of the campaign; teaching them about their right to health; empowering them to call on their leaders

Communicate the scale and the urgency of the situation: this year 10 million children will die, and next year another ten million, and so on. Not to mention those older children who suffer with poor health

Provoking outrage: i. At the disposability of young children ii. That unfulfilled funding promises are to blame for so many deaths. We want to provoke outrage and make this unacceptable, a moral issue.

Name, slogan and feel Name: Global Movement for Children’s

Health Now! Campaign => stresses sense of urgency

Slogan: ‘Aren’t I worth it?’ or ‘Am I not worth it?’=> It’s a leading question. It prompts the answer ‘yes’ and forces the target to agree and recognize the worth of the child in question.

Mock ups:

G8

Malawi

Ghana

Concrete plans How well we use communication tools

(advertising, e-petitions, online social space, celebrity endorsement) depends on how much is invested in this project;

What we do and achieve will depend on the scope, resources, time;

The details of what we do, when need to wait until we know what the commitments will be – what we can afford to do, how many people we have to do it, and how much time there is to do it.

Are the Campaign’s outcomes worth the investment?

Main benefits for children, and GMC members are:1. Support for other advocacy activities:

This campaign will result in a ‘wave of outrage’ about the disposability of children that you won’t have to create for your own campaigns – not just health but other child-related campaigns;

Success in this campaign will mean a sea change in the perception of children’s worth among general public and decision-makers;

It will also create a social shift in which the general public realizes they can and should keep their governments accountable for their promises.

Are the Campaign’s outcomes worth the investment?

2. Access to other resources: If the GMC becomes respected as a leading

coalition empowering children in the North and South to call for change, then doors to policy makers and decision makers will open to the GMC that would have been closed to individual agencies;

A coalition of such well-regarded NGOs will be able to enlist major celebrity endorsement, spokespeople and attract major media that few members agencies can command now;

Resources produced for the GMC will be accessible for use by all agencies. Maximum results for minimum effort. ROI for each agency is significant.

Are the Campaign’s outcomes worth the investment?

3. Increased media coverage and brand awareness: With every major GMC action, you get an opportunity to

mention the work of your organization – while still being a GMC representative.

CEOs have the opportunity to speak out at major meetings: the World Bank/IMF meetings, G8 Summit, AU meetings on behalf of children. They will have more opportunity to do so because of the campaign.

4. Funding An effective campaign will bring more supporters to your

organization. More activist supporters means more funding. Activist supporters who are later asked for funds are more generous than just donors;

There is also opportunity for greater synergy between the GMC and member agencies, e.g., The new GMC website will include a front page section where member agencies can post their banner adverts for fundraising initiatives.

Are the Campaign’s outcomes worth the investment?

Meeting MDG4 by 2015 means saving almost 7 millions lives,

every year!