Overview

Common Goods for Health (CGH) are the core population-based functions or interventions that are essential to the health and well-being of entire societies. They necessitate public financing and public action as they are public goods or have large social externalities, and thus will not arise through market forces alone.

The objectives of this guidance document are to clearly define CGH, to discuss CGH’s connections with other critical health agendas to build more responsive and resilient health systems and to address financing issues associated with CGH at national, sub-national and community levels. This document delineates the relevant CGH categories, sub-categories and functions, which can aid in policy discussions, budget dialogues (including prioritization processes in countries) and health expenditure tracking processes as means of monitoring and accountability. The document is intended to be used primarily by national and sub-national finance and health authorities, as well as by other government entities, global and regional organizations, civil society and academic institution.