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Towards universal health coverage in the WHO African Region: tracking financial protection

World Health Organization (WHO) (2024) CC

The role of evidence in the journey towards universal health coverage is paramount. Financial risk protection monitoring, the major focus of this report, informs where the WHO African Region stands in reducing the financial hardship people face due to health expenses. This report details the status ... more

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WHO African Region Health Expenditure Atlas 2023

WHO African Region (2024) CC

Over the past decade, countries in the African region experienced slow progress in mobilizing resources for health while facing continued challenges. In their revised estimates published in 2017, Stenberg et al., developed two costs scenarios, termed progress and ambitious, aimed at strengthening co... 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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The cost of austerity: The toll of IMF conditionalities on access to health in Zambia

Make Way, Wemos (2024) CC

Zambia is facing a severe economic crisis marked by high inflation, increasing poverty and a heavy debt burden that is straining both its fiscal stability and progress in health outcomes. By 2020, the country's external debt reached United States dollars (USD) 12.7 billion, representing 108% of the ... more

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Health Financing Progress Matrix assessment, Kenya 2023: summary of findings and recommendations

Kenya Ministry of Health, World Health Organization (WHO) (2024) CC

This comprehensive HPFM report thoroughly explores Kenya’s health financing landscape. It provides an in-depth analysis of the current state of affairs and sheds light on required strategic changes in health financing. The report points out the need to improve public financial management within th... more

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Emergency water supply planning guide for hospitals and health care facilities

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Water Works Association (2012) C1

In order to maintain daily operations and patient care services, health care facilities need to develop an Emergency Water Supply Plan (EWSP) to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a total or partial interruption of the facilities’ normal water supply. Water supply interruption can be caused... more

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Strategy for optimizing national routine health information systems: strengthening routine health information systems to deliver primary health care and universal health coverage

World Health Organization WHO (2024) C_WHO

This strategy was developed to further support countries in their efforts to strengthen their capacity to implement key interventions to optimize their RHIS, enabling the monitoring and delivery of Health Care Services, especially Primary Health Care (PHC). The strategy proposes principles for integ... more

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Health Sector Response to Gender Based Violence - Standard Operating Procedures for First Contact Point Health Care Providers - Sri Lanka

Ministry of Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine (2019) CC

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the lead UN agency working to further gender equality and women’s empowerment in Sri Lanka. We are pleased to be a part of the joint effort with the Ministry of Health to develop the first ‘Standard Operating Procedures on sexual and gender-based vio... more

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WHO manual for organizing a national external quality assessment programme for health laboratories and other testing sites

World Health Organization WHO (2016) C_WHO

This manual describes some of the strategic, managerial, financial, technical and scientific aspects to be considered in establishing a national EQA programme for clinical laboratories and other testing services at all health care levels

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Health Preparedness For El Niño Event 2015-2016

World Health Organization (WHO) (2015) C_WHO

The WHO report on health preparedness for El Niño 2015-2016 describes the impact of this weather phenomenon on global public health. Strong El Niño events lead to extreme weather conditions, including droughts, floods, and storms, which increase the risk of diseases such as cholera, malaria, and d... more

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Impacts of tropical cyclones on food security, health and biodiversity

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

Food security, human health and wellbeing largely depend on biodiversity. Biodiversity supports agriculture through ecosystem services such as pollination and water purification, and provides access to natural medicines, which are the primary source of health care for 4 billion people worldwide

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Progress on WASH in health care facilities 2000-2021: Special focus on WASH and infection prevention and control (IPC)
recommended

World Health Organization WHO; UNICEF, JMP (2022) C_WHO

Achieving universal access to WASH in health care facilities requires political will and strong leadership at both national and facility levels, but is highly cost-effective, and would yield substantial health benefits. A global analysis estimated that universal basic WASH services in health care f... more

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A Systematic Review of Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (EOC)

Nunn, Marc Word Health Organization (2014)

A public health emergency operations centre (EOC) is a central location for coordinating operational information and resources for strategic management of pugencies and events. EOCs provide communication and information tools and services blic health emer- and a management system during a response ... more

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Improving the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents:guidance on scheduled child and adolescent well-care visits

World Health Organization WHO (2024) C_WHO

To survive and thrive, children and adolescents need good health, adequate nutrition, security, safety and a supportive clean environment, opportunities for early learning and education, responsive relationships and connectedness, and opportunities for personal autonomy and self-realization. To prom... more

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Improving access to maternal health care in Senegal: WAHA International’s mHealth programme

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2014) C_WHO

WAHA International’s mHealth programme addresses several barriers to maternal and neonatal care, including: a lack of information at the community level about locally available services; a large distance from services and a lack of affordable transport for patients; and ineffective communication b... more

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The role of community health workers in influencing social connectedness using the household model: a qualitative case study from Malawi

Ndambo, M.K.; Munyaneza, F.; Aron, M. et al. Global Health Action (2022) CC

Community health workers (CHWs) play a vital role in facilitating social connectedness, building trust, decrease stigma, and link communities to essential healthcare and social support services. More studies are needed to understand the factors facilitating these interactions among CHWs, clients, an... more

Sustainable financing mechanisms for strengthening mental health systems in Nigeria

Abdulmalik et al. Pubmed (2019) CC

Background and aims: Current coverage of mental health care in low- and middle-income countries is limited, not only in terms of access to services but also in terms of financial protection of persons in need of care and treatment. This is especially pertinent considering the established relationshi... more

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National Guideline for Filing, Archiving and Disposal of Patient Records in Primary Health Care Facilities

National Department of Health, South Africa (2017) C1

The purpose of this guideline is to explain to healthcare professionals and administrative employees what their records management obligations are in terms of the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa

HEARTS of NCD: An integrated approach to management of noncommunicable diseases in primary health care

World Health Organization WHO OpenWHO (2024) C_WHO

The course aims to cover the types of NCDs and risk factors, the challenges of delivering NCD services in primary health care, elements of WHO technical packages (PEN and HEARTS) for NCDs and how to adapt these packages in primary health care. SEARO NCD PEN-HEARTS is a series of four courses with... more

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Mental health and psychosocial support for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants on the move in Europe: A multi-agency guidance note, December 2015

International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies, International Organization for Migration, World Health Organization, et al. (2015) C1

This brief guidance note seeks to provide advice on protecting and supporting the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants in Europe. It describes key principles and appropriate interventions to guide all those who are designing and organizing emergency servi... more

Progress on WASH in health care facilities 2000-2021: Special focus on WASH and infection prevention and control (IPC) recommended

Progress on WASH in health care facilities 2000-2021: Special focus on WASH and infection prevention and control (IPC)
recommended