Development Assistance for Health: Donor Commitment As a Critical Success Factor (Commentary‪)‬

On retiring from Canadian politics, former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, in 1968, accepted an invitation from Robert McNamara, World Bank President, to chair the Commission on International Development.1 Following consultations with over 70 donor and recipient nations, the Pearson Commission (as it became known) released its report "Partners in Development" in October 1969. The report provided convincing analysis in support of recommendations for donor nations to be more generous with economic aid. In 1970, the world's wealthiest nations promised to commit 0.7% of their gross national income (GNI) to official development assistance (ODA). (2) Our government recommitted to the goal in 1975, but has not met it to this day. The target was reiterated at: the 2002 International Conference on Financing for Development in Mexico; the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, South Africa; and in 2005, in Scotland, when European Union G8 members recommitted to reach it by 2015. That five nations have met or surpassed the challenge (Table 1) reveals that this is more about priority setting and political will than feasibility. In light of the 2010 G8 meeting in Canada, let us reflect on these sober facts: