An Ode to EV4GH 2012

By Godson Eze (EV 2012)

 

To Beijing, to Peking, all the way we went

From the world’s south, thence they said we came

Through mailings and trainings, to preconference and symposium

No attempts to forget the Linguarama and fishing with chop-sticks

Amateurs though we were, from pots of sauce we did quite fish

Like a class action, like a horde poised to make a change

Everyone saying the same thing: Universal Health Coverage!

It’s on the global agenda. Yes! On the local agenda too

Now to every one stakeholder’s mind and mouth

Universal Health Coverage! Equity! Access! Utilization!

Reach them all! Keep them all in health and wellbeing!

Improve their health; improve their life is the chant

But this will sure cost something, in fact a great deal

Yes, a great deal

So who will pay for this?

Me, you, them, us…?! It’s a situation where one size doesn’t fit all

But I don’t agree, I don’t agree!

Hey! Who are you and with what are you at variance?

It’s I, the voice of ancient times past

Is it me, you, them or us?

It’s all of it: ME, YOU, THEM and US varying place to place

Do you have evidence for your new position?

Get your evidence, get your facts right

And be sure to compare against times past

Then we can scrutinize your methods and evaluate it for validity

And I hope you used RCT?

RCT?! Yes and No

As per methods, it’s also not a situation of one size fits all

It appears you don’t know there are emerging new methods and best practices?

Have you heard of Mixed Methods, Realist Evaluation, Performance Based Financing, Verbal Autopsies, Positive Deviance…I should stop, lest I inundate you

Oh me Gawd! This modern age

Yes, you should get your facts right

What I have said is that financing is for Me, You, Them or Us

And I have said Yes and No to RCT

Just provide evidence for what works best in your own circumstances

And we will progress from there

But Universal Health Coverage, we must achieve

Equity, we will keep in focus

By any and every means

Until we can sustain a smile on the indices…

So we came, we saw, we conquered

We met, we shared, and we bonded

Guys and ladies, skills and instruments, methods and styles

From the global south, all around the world

Great thoughts, grand ideas…all emerging forcefully

Remember that not everything that matters can be measured

And not everything that can be measured matters

Keep up the good work!