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Africa’s Health Financing in a New Era

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) (2025) CC

Africa’s health sector is facing an unprecedented financing crisis, driven by a sharp decline of 70% in Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 2021 to 2025 and deep-rooted structural vulnerabilities. This collapse is placing immense pressure on Africa’s already fragile health systems as ODA ...is seen as the backbone of critical health programs: pandemic preparedness, maternal and child health services, disease control programs are all at risk, threatening Sustainable Development Goal 3 and Universal Health Coverage. Compounding this is Africa’s spiraling debt, with countries expected to service USD 81 billion by 2025—surpassing anticipated external financing inflows—further eroding fiscal space for health investments. Level of domestic resources is low. TThe Abuja Declaration of 2001, a pivotal commitment made by African Union (AU) member states, aimed to reverse this trend by pledging to allocate at least 15% of national budgets to the health sector. However, more than two decades later, only three countries—Rwanda, Botswana, and Cabo Verde—have consistently met or exceeded this target (WHO, 2023). In contrast, over 30 AU member states remain well below the 10% benchmark, with some allocating as little as 5–7% of their national budgets to health. In addition, only 16 (29%) of African countries currently have updated versions of National Health Development Plan (NHDP) supported by a National Health Financing Plan (NHFP). These two documents play a critical role in driving internal resource mobilisation. At the same time, public health emergencies are surging, rising 41%—from 152 in 2022 to 213 in 2024—exposing severe under-resourcing of health infrastructure and workforce. Recurring outbreaks (Mpox, Ebola, cholera, measles, Marburg…) alongside effects of climate change and humanitarian crises in Eastern DRC, the Sahel, and Sudan, are overwhelming systems stretched by chronic underfunding. The situation is worsened by Africa’s heavy dependency with over 90% of vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics being externally sourced—leaving countries vulnerable to global supply chain shocks. Health worker shortages persist, with only 2.3 professionals per 1,000 people (below the WHO’s recommended 4.45), and fewer than 30% of systems are digitized, undermining disease surveillance and early warning. Without decisive action, Africa CDC projects the continent could reverse two decades of health progress, face 2 to 4 million additional preventable deaths annually, and a heightened risk of a pandemic emerging from within. Furthermore, 39 million more Africans could be pushed into poverty by 2030 due to intertwined health and economic shocks. This is not just a sectoral crisis—it is an existential threat to Africa’s political, social, and economic resilience, and global stability. In response, African leaders, under Africa CDC’s stewardship, are advancing a comprehensive three-pillar strategy centered on domestic resource mobilization, innovative financing, and blended finance. more

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Nutrition Program Design Assistant: A Tool for Program Planners (NPDA)

CORE Group Nutrition Working Group, Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance III Project (FANTA), and Save the Children (2015)

Reference Guide Version 2. Revised. The Nutrition Program Design Assistant is a tool to help organizations design the nutrition component of their community-based maternal and child health, food security, or other development program. The tool focuses on prevention and also provides guidance on recu... more

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Namibia (Equity Profile)

Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP) (2017) C2

This profile presents an overview of the current equity in the coverage of key reproductive, maternal, and child health interventions in Namibia. | The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bureau for Global Health’s flagship Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP) focu... more

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An Analytical Report on National Survey of Female Community Health Volunteers of Nepal

Government of Nepal USAID, MOH (Nepal) (2007) C1

The FCHV program focuses on family planning, maternal/neonatal and child health. Vitamin A distribution program. The activity of FCHV is contributing to Nepal’s goal of reducing the total fertility rate and under five mortality and maternal mortality rates.

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Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey 2015-16

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Ministry of Health and Sports The DHS Program (2017) C1

The 2015-16 MDHS is a national sample survey that provides up-to-date information on fertility levels; marriage; fertility preferences; awareness and use of family planning methods; child feeding practices; nutrition; adult and childhood mortality; awareness and attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS; women�... more

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Senegal: Malaria in Pregnancy Country Profile

US Presidents Malaria Initiative, Maternal and Chilc Survival Program (MCS) (2018) C2

Senegal has adopted the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) three-pronged strategy for combating malaria in pregnancy (MiP): (1) intermittent preventative treatment in pregnancy (IPTp)1 via directly observed therapy (DOT), (2) distribution and use of insecticidetreated nets (ITNs), and (3) case ... more

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Feeding Practices and Nutritional Status of Children Age 6-23 Months in Myanmar: Further Analysis of the 2015-16 Demographic and Health Survey

Mya, Kyaw Swa, Aung Tin Kyaw, and Thandar Tun The DHS Program (2018) C1

DHS Working Paper No. 136
A total of 1,222 children age 6-23 months were included in this analysis. Twenty percent of children were stunted and 43% were moderately anemic. Regarding IYCF practices, only 16% of children received a minimum acceptable diet, 25% received diverse food groups, 58% were... more

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Capacity-building for a strong public health nutrition workforce in low- resource countries

Delisle, H.; Shrimpton, R.; Blaney, S. et al. Bulletin of the World Health Organization (2017) C_WHO

The document addresses the pressing issues of global malnutrition and the urgent need to build workforce capacity in public health nutrition, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. It highlights the dual burden of malnutrition, characterized by the coexistence of undernutrition and overnu... more

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Rwanda: FAMILY PLANNING POLICY

Government of Rwanda: Ministry of Health, Maternal and Child Health (2012) C2

This policy will serve as a cornerstone from which to address the accessibility of Family Planning services and to encourage its integration with services for HIV/AIDS, maternal health, child health, and other development initiatives. This policy is timely, as Rwanda is embarking on the introduction... more

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Nutrition Program Design Assistant: A Tool for Program Planners, Version 2

coregroup (2015)

The Nutrition Program Design Assistant is a tool to help organizations design the nutrition component of their community-based maternal and child health, food security, or other development program. The tool focuses on prevention and also provides guidance on recuperative approaches that are needed ... more

Comprehensive Approach to Improving Maternal Health and Achieving MDG 5: Report from the Mountains of Lesotho

Satti H, Motsamai S, Chetane P, Marumo L, Barry DJ, et al. PLoS ONE (2012) CC

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Ethiopia - Health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Program for Results : additional financing : environmental assessment : Environmental and social system assessment

The Ethiopia Health MDGs Program for Results (PforR) (2017) C1

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Uganda: Accelerating Access to Postpartum Family Planning (PPFP) in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia Worksheet

USAID, Maternal and Child Survival Program (2015) C1

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Senegal 2016 DHS - Infographic

The DHS Program (2017) C2

FAST FACTS FROM THE PHASE 4 OF THE SENEGAL CONTINUOUS SURVEY MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH

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ORB mPowering

mPowering Health (2016) CC

Connecting Frontline Health Workers to resources and each other to expand their knowledge, organize content into courses, and share their learning with the community. ORB offers frontline health workers and trainers access to quality assured openly licensed content that can be used on mobile device... more