The Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) as a medium-term vision for the
World Health Organization (WHO) cooperation with Swaziland defines
a strategic framework for working with the country. It also defines the
Organization’s work in addressing national health priorities and contributes
to national health development in harmony with other development partners.
The process of developing the WHO Country Cooperation Strategy 2014–
2019 for Swaziland coincided with other development processes such as
review of the National Development Strategy and development of the National
Health Sector Strategic Plan 2014–2018. This CCS aims to contribute to
disease prevention, management and control. Health systems development
and strengthening also remain keys to the achievement of set health goals.
The strategic agenda seeks to achieve its goals according to five of the
strategic priorities identified in the WHO 12th General Programme of Work:
communicable diseases; noncommunicable diseases; promoting health
through the life course; health systems; and preparedness, surveillance and
response.
Likewise, this CCS is the instrument through which the six WHO leadership
priorities identified in the 12th General Programme of Work (GPW) will be
implemented at country level. These priorities are: universal health coverage;
noncommunicable diseases (NCDs); Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs); International Health Regulations; access to medical products; and
social, economic and environmental determinants of health.
The CCS was developed by a multidisciplinary technical working team (TWT)
with leadership from the WHO Country Office and the Ministry of Health. The
CCS formulation process was participative and consultative involving all key
stakeholders in the health sector. The approach included data collection,
review of literature, thematic group work for the drafting phase, stakeholder
consensus-building meetings, reviews and consolidation. Data collection
entailed face-to-face interviews with key stakeholders as well as focus group
discussions.