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Pathways to progress: a multi-level approach to strengthening health systems

Samuels, F., Amaya, A.B., Rodríguez Pose, R. and Balabanova, D. Overseas Development Institute (2014) C1

Findings on maternal and child health in Nepal, Mozambique and Rwanda, and neglected tropical diseases in Cambodia and Sierra Leone | This report synthesises findings from five country case studies from the health dimension of this project, which focus on maternal and child health (MCH) (Mozambique... 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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Embracing Practices of Inclusion

Doug Reeler, Akke Schuurmans, Jeroen Overweel MCNV, Global Initiative on Psychiatry, and World Granny (2016) CC

Stories of how people in Georgia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Vietnam made inclusive development happen in their societies. It contains significant experiences andlessons learnt about the practice of inclusive development for a wide range of excluded or marginalised groups, useful for policy-mak... more

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2nd International Conference on Re-emerging Infectious Diseases: Scientific Report

African Union; Africa CDC Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Africa CDC (2019) C_CDC

In 2007, WHO warned that infectious diseases are emerging and re-emerging at a rate that has not been seen before. The potential for infectious diseases to spread rapidly results in high morbidity and mortality, causing a potential global public health treat of major concern. Several factors are ... more

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Moving to a strong(er) community health system: analysing the role of community health volunteers in the new national community health strategy in Malawi

Angwenyi, V.; Aantjes, C.; Kondowe, K. et al. BMJ Global Health (2018) CC

Since the Alma Ata Declaration in 1978, community health volunteers (CHVs) have been at the forefront, providing health services, especially to underserved communities, in low-income countries. However, consolidation of CHVs position within formal health systems has proved to be complex and continue... more

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Integrated Outbreak Analytics Toolkit

Global Outbreak Alerts Response Network GOARN (2025) CC

Integrated Outbreak Analytics (IOA) applies a multidisciplinary approach to understanding outbreak dynamics and to inform outbreak response. It aims to drive comprehensive, accountable, and effective public health and clinical strategies by enabling communities, and national and subnational health a... more

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Rwanda: MATERNAL, NEONATAL AND CHILD HEALTH NATIONAL STRATEGY JULY 2013- JUNE 2018

Ministry of Health, Rwanda & Rwanda Biomedical Centre (2013) C2

This document sets out Rwanda's Maternal, Neonatal Child Health (MNCH) national strategy (July 2013- June 2018). The MNCH strategy provides a framework for addressing maternal, neonatal and child health challenges currently facing Rwanda. It is an overarching strategy for scale up of the national re... more

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Reaching Every District (RED)

World Health Organization ( WHO), Regional Oﬃce for Africa (2017) C_WHO

A guide to increasing coverage and equity in all communities in the African Region
Expanded Programs on Immunization (EPI) is responsible for vaccines and vaccination to control, eliminate and eradicate vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs). Having strong immunization systems to deliver vaccines ... more

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Modelling the health impacts of disruptions to essential health services during COVID-19

UN Children's Fund UNICEF; Umited Nations Popuilation Fund UNFPA; World Health Organization WHO (2021) C_WHO

- Module 1: Understanding modelling approaches for sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, and nutrition Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a wide range of documented effects. It directly causes death and disability for some people infected. However, disruption to... more

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Impact on Essential Health Services

The Independent Panel (2021) CC

Background paper 8 The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response May 2021

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Pediatric oncology nursing practice in Latin America and the Caribbean

Pan American Health Organisation PAHO (2024) C_WHO

One of the main aims of the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer and the CureAll Americas framework is to strengthen centers of excellence and promote the training of the health workforce, especially pediatric oncology nurses, specialized in nursing care for children and adolescents with cance... more

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Rwanda: National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis 2010-2013 - Annual Report JULY 2012 - JUNE 2013

Rwanda Biomedical Center - Institute of HIVAIDS, Disease prevention & Control (IHDPC), TB & Other Respiratory Communicable Diseases Division (2013) C2

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A summary of the new GINA strategy: a roadmap to asthma control

Reddel, H. K.; Bateman, E. D.; Becker, A.; et al. (2015) CC2

Over the past 20 years, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) has regularly published and annually updated a global strategy for asthma management and prevention that has formed the basis for many national guidelines. However, uptake of existing guidelines is poor. A major revision of the GINA r... more

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Environmental Stewardship and Climate Action Handbook

World Vision (2023) CC

Climate change presents the single biggest threat to human development, and its widespread impacts disproportionately burden the poorest and most vulnerable households in fragile and rural developing contexts – particularly women and children. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate C... more

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Checking in on the Checklist

Buissonniere, M. Lifebox and Ariadne Labs (2019) CC

The report and an accompanying series of studies show the global uptake of the World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist in its first ten years since its launch and recommend ways the Checklist can be more effectively used to improve surgical safety for millions at risk. The report ... more

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WHO Policy Brief on the health aspects of decriminalization of suicide and suicide attempts

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

Reducing the global suicide mortality rate by a third by 2030 is a target of both the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the WHO Global Mental Health Action Plan. However, an impediment to meeting this goal is the fact that suicide and suicide attempts remain illegal in at least 23 countries world... more

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The WHO AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve) antibiotic book - Infographics

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2022) C_WHO

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a threat to global health and development and it contributes to millions of deaths worldwide each year. Inappropriate use and overuse of antibiotics are driving an increase in AMR and have a detrimental impact on the effectiveness of these critical medicines. Throug... more

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Malaria Capacity Building Initiative

Schellenberg D., Ortega L. World Health Organization (WHO) (2018) C_WHO

The presentation titled "Malaria Capacity Building Initiative" outlines efforts led by the WHO and partner organizations to strengthen the skills and systems needed to fight malaria globally. It highlights the need for a coordinated, long-term strategy to build human resource capacity in malaria-end... more

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Kangaroo mother care: a transformative innovation in health care

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

This document puts forward the joint position and vision of an expert, global, multistakeholder working group on implementing Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) for all preterm or low birth weight (LBW) infants as the foundation for small and/or sick newborn care within maternal, newborn, and child health p... more

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State of the World’s Nursing Report - 2020

World Health Organization WHO (2020) C1

The State of the world’s nursing 2020 report provides the latest, most up-to-date evidence on and policy options for the global nursing workforce. It also presents a compelling case for considerable – yet feasible – investment in nursing education, jobs, and leadership. The primary chapters... more