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Banking on health: the surging pandemic of health financialization

Dentico N. Society for International Development (SID) (2023) CC

In the last three decades, health financialization has surged in several creative ways, yet this growing phenomenon remains surprisingly unknown, and neglected, in the global health arena. Financialization in the health domain could be described as the uncontrolled expansion of finance along vari... more

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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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A healthy return: Investment case for a sustainably financed WHO

World Health Organization (WHO) (2022) CC

There has never been a more critical moment to invest in WHO, and strengthen the unique role it plays in global health. Now is the time to sustainably finance WHO and invest in a healthy return for all.

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The Evolution of the ODA Accounting Rules

Casadevall-Bellés S., Calleja R. Center for Global Development (2024) CC

Frequent efforts to revise the official development assistance (ODA) accounting rules have raised important questions about the integrity and relevance of what currently “counts” as ODA spending. In this note, we outline a brief history of the evolution of the ODA accounting rules to date, highl... more

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WHO guideline on preventing early pregnancy and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries
recommended

World Health Organization WHO (2025) CC

The objectives of this guideline are the same as those of the 2011 edition, namely to provide evidence-based normative guidance on interventions to improve adolescent morbidity and mortality by reducing the chances of early pregnancy and its resulting poor health outcomes. The specific objectives of... more

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Consequences of the US budget cuts and the dissolution of USAID: An analysis and recommendations for action for stakeholders in international development cooperation

Liebau L., Rüppel T., Schottmayer K. medmissio (2025) CC

This publication provides a problem analysis of the U.S. cuts in global health and derives concrete recommendations for action for medical actors. The focus is on analyzing the direct effects on health-specific development cooperation.

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Malaria and Climate

The Global Fund (2024) CC

Reprogramming examples for GC7. This document supports the introduction of climate change-related interventions into programs to reduce transmission of malaria and protect vulnerable populations.

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Developing a National Health Financing Strategy: A Reference Guide

Joseph Kutzin, Sophie Witter, Matthew Jowett et al. World Health Organization (WHO) (2017) C_WHO

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Guidelines on sanitation and health
recommended

World Health Organization WHO (2018) C_WHO

The new WHO Guidelines on Sanitation and Health summarize the evidence on the effectiveness of a range of sanitation interventions and provide a comprehensive framework for health-protecting sanitation, covering policy and governance measures, implementation of sanitation technologies, systems and b... more

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Medical Peace Work Textbook, 2nd edition, Course 3: War, weapons and conflict strategies

Salvage J, Rowson M, Melf K, Wilmen A (2012) C1

This course describes the health effects of war, weapons and strategies of violent conflict. Beginning with weapons of mass destruction it then moves on to other weapons and strategies of war such as the use of landmines and mass rape. The course concludes with a number of lessons which give an hist... more

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Accelerating WHO FCTC Implementation in the WHO South-East Asia Region: A Practical Approach

World Health Organization (WHO), Regional Office for South-East-Asia (2017) C_WHO

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (‎WHO FCTC)‎ is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health and was developed in response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic. Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region have made... more

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White Paper for Global Palliative Care Advocacy: Recommendations from a PAL-LIFE Expert Advisory Group of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Vatican City

C. Centeno, Sitte, T. de Lima L. et.al. Journal of Palliative Medicine (2018) C1

Journal of Palliative Medicine Volume 21, Number 10, 2018 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2018.0248ad

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Health systems resilience in managing the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons from 28 countries

Haldane, V., De Foo, C., Abdalla, S.M. et al. (2021) C1

Nat Med (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-021-01381-y

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Philippines: GETTING OPTIONS A Handbook on Getting Education, Training and Work Options for Persons with Disabilities at the National Capital Region

National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) (2014) C1

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Клиническое ведение тяжелой острой респираторной инфекции: методическое пособие. Версия, адаптированная для борьбы с COVID-19
recommended

World Health Organization WHO (2020) C_WHO

Clinical care for severe acute respiratory infection: toolkit: COVID-19 adaptation

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Risk reduction of cognitive decline and dementia: WHO guideline

World Health Organization WHO (2019) C_WHO

The WHO Guidelines on risk reduction of cognitive decline and dementia provide evidence-based recommendations on lifestyle behaviours and interventions to delay or prevent cognitive decline and dementia. These WHO Guidelines are an important tool for health care providers as well as governments, pol... more

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GUIDELINES FOR ONCHOCERCIASIS ELIMINATION IN ETHIOPIA

Federal Ministry of Health, Ethiopia (2015) C1

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Progress in health among regions of Ethiopia, 1990–2019: a subnational country analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

GBD 2019 Ethiopia Subnational-Level Disease Burden Initiative Collaborators (2022) CC

The Lancet. 13 March 2022. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02868-3. Previous Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) studies have reported national health estimates for Ethiopia. Substantial regional variations in socioeconomic status, population, demography, and access to hea... more

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Diagnosis of convulsive epilepsy by non-specialist health care providers

World Health Organization WHO (2012) C_WHO

Q4: Can convulsive epilepsy be diagnosed at first level care by a non-specialist health care provider in low and middle income country settings?

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Humanitarian Health Ethics Analysis Tool: HEAT Handbook

Fraser V, Hunt MR, Schwartz L, and de Laat S (2014)

You can download the handbook, worksheets and quick reference cards from the website! The HHEAT is an ethical analysis tool designed to help humanitarian healthcare workers make ethical decisions. It consists of 3 components: (1) a summary card highlighting key questions, (2) a handbook providing a... more

WHO guideline on preventing early pregnancy and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries recommended

Guidelines on sanitation and health recommended

Клиническое ведение тяжелой острой респираторной инфекции: методическое пособие. Версия, адаптированная для борьбы с COVID-19 recommended

WHO guideline on preventing early pregnancy and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries
recommended

Guidelines on sanitation and health
recommended

Клиническое ведение тяжелой острой респираторной инфекции: методическое пособие. Версия, адаптированная для борьбы с COVID-19
recommended