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How is governance for these funds structured? 

Understanding different models and funding mechanisms helps to identify the best health promotion model for your country. For countries that receive a regular source of adequate funding for health promotion, allocated annually from the national budget, a health promotion fund may not be a priority or necessity, such as in the case of Singapore Health Promotion Board and the Health Promotion Centre in the Brunei Ministry of Health.

Regardless of the model used, it is important that the funding source and governance of the fund be established by legislation such as an Act of Parliament. The fund’s role, objectives, mechanism to administer the fund, and funding sources should be clearly defined and specified in the legislation. This ensures the fund’s transparency, accountability mechanisms, effectiveness, and sustainability. Clear provisions in the legislation will also protect from inappropriate use of the funds and other political interference. 

The three main health promotion foundation models are:

  1. an autonomous agency that is governed by an independent statutory body outside of the government’s bureaucratic system;
  2. a semi-autonomous agency in which the fund is directed through the Ministry of Health and at the same time is administered by an independent board of governance;
  3. a unit within a government structure where the fund is governed within a Ministry and is under the direction of the Prime Minister or the Ministry of Health.

References

World Health Organization. (2004). The establishment and use of dedicated taxes for health. World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific. 

Vathesatogkit P, Yen Lian T, Ritthipakdee B. (2011). Lessons Learned In Establishing A Health Promotion Fund. Bangkok, Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA). 

Vathesatogkit P, Yen Lian T, Ritthipakdee B. (2013). Health Promotion: Sustainable Financing and Governance. Bangkok, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth). 

World Health Organization. (2016). Earmarked Tobacco Taxes: Lessons Learnt from Nine Countries. World Health Organization. Geneva.

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