From Ties Boerma - sent to Responsible Action by email 19th March 2009

Dear Colleagues

Please find attached a brief report and a plan of action developed at a meeting to develop a Global initiative to strengthen Country Health Systems Surveillance (CHESS) held in Bellagio 28-30 October. The CHESS initiative aims to strengthen the availability, quality and use of data on health systems to inform country review and planning processes.

In the first phase, partners in countries and at the global levels will work to further develop, field test and implement components of CHESS in selected countries. Mid 2009 we intend to be able to distil the lessons from the first phase and have mobilized additional funding and technical partners that will allow the initiative to involve a larger number of countries and expand its scope within countries.

I'd like to thank the Bellagio meeting participants for their contributions to the plan and the Rockefeller Foundation for funding the start up phase.

Best regards

Ties