THE PHNOM PENH DECLARATION

The declaration made by the Parliamentarians at the third Symposium of Parliamentarians on Sustainable lmmunization Financing

Phnom Penh, October 21-22,2010

While acknowledging the Kathmandu-Declaration, attended by the Parliamentarians and government officials from the Ministries of Health and the Ministries of Finance from Cambodia, Nepal and Sri Lanka (Kathmandu, February 2010), and

Whereas we acknowledge the Kathmandu-Colombo and Beyond Declaration, attended by the Parliamentarians and government officials from Ministries of Health and Ministries of Finance from Cambodia, Nepal and Sri Lanka (Colombo, July 2010), and

Whereas immunization of people, especially children and women against vaccine preventable diseases is one of the most cost-effective health interventions and key to achieve the MDG's to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health; National Governments should take the primary responsibility to ensure Sustainable lmmunization Financing on the long term, and

Whereas realizing the importance of immunization programs to create a healthy nation, focused in particular on women and children and to achieve the MDG's on Public Health, we the Parliamentarians from Cambodia, Nepal and Sri Lanka hereby, do;

Call for the respective Ministries of Health and Ministries of Finance of each country to join their Parliamentary Committee on Health in collaborative effort to enhance the national immunization budget and to propose concrete steps for the prevention of vaccine preventable to increase Request bi-annual briefings from the respective Ministries of Health for this innovative inter-related institutional groups on progress towards a sustainable immunization Request the Ministries of Health to initiate bi-annual meetings with the participation of the Members of Parliament of the respective constituencies and provincial health authorities on financial and technical progress regarding the implementation of Health Programs on Immunization, in particular on Maternal and Child Health in general; the Ministries of Health report to the respective Parliamentary Committees of Health on the results on provincial basis Request the Ministries of Finance and Ministries of Health to keep the Parliamentary Committees on Health updated on health based data updated on the Health Sector Shall encourage their constituencies to seek immunization for their people, in particular women children Participate actively in overseeing the process of decentralization and the implementation of the respective health programs and related expenditure for the National lmmunization Programs in particular Request the respective Ministries of Health to inform the respective Parliamentary Committees on Health about all national and international contributions to the budgets for Health Programs on lmmunization of people, in particular women and children Suggest the creation of a National lmmunization Advisory Group (NIAG) Request the Governments to create National lmmunization Acts (NIA) Request the Ministries of Health in consultation with the Ministries of Finance to develop National Immunization Trust Funds (NITF) with the integration of all related stakeholders Continue to peer exchange experiences on immunization process; invite Parliamentarians and governmental officials from related ministries, private sector and civil societies as well as representatives from other countries to share their best practices in the area of Public Health and Sustainable lmmunization Financing Determine to actively participate at the International Colloquium on Sustainable lmmunization Financing, to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 201 1 and to report about the progress made in the implementation of this declaration. Cambodia:

Hon.Post Dr. Cheam Yeap

Chairperson of Commission on Economy, Finance, Banking and Audit, National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia

Nepal:

Hon. Ms. Sandhya Devi

Chairperson of Women, Children and Social Welfare Committee of Legislature Parliament of Nepal

Hon. Ms. Babina Moktan

Member of Women, Children and Social Welfare Committee of Legislature Parliament of, Nepal

Sri Lanka:

Hon. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe

Member of Parliament,

Member of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Health

Hon. Dr. Ramesh Pathirana

Member of Parliament,

Member of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Health

Phnom Penh, Cambodia 22"4 of October 2010