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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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Evolution and effectiveness of bilateral and multilateral development assistance for health: a mixed-methods review of trends and strategic shifts (1990–2022)

Xie S., Du S., Huang Y., et al. BMJ Global Health (2025) CC

Development assistance for health (DAH) plays a vital role in supporting health programmes in lowand middle-income countries. While DAH has historically focused on infectious diseases and maternal and child health, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis of DAH trends, strategic shifts and the... 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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Financing the Pandemic Cycle: Prevention, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery and Reconstruction

Fan V. Y., Kim S., Pineda D., et al. Center for Global Development (2024) CC

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical gaps in the global response to health crises, particularly in the financing of pandemic prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and reconstruction. This chapter presents a comprehensive framework for pandemic financing that spans the entire pandemic cycle... more

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Political economy analysis for health financing: A ‘how to’ guide

World Health Organization (WHO) (2024) CC

This Guide is part of WHO’s overall programme of work on Political Economy of Health Financing Reform: Analysis and Strategy to Support UHC. The impetus for this work came from demands for more concrete evidence, recognition and integration of political economy issues within health financing, and... more

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WHO guidelines on meningitis diagnosis, treatment and care. Web Annex B. Qualitative and economic evidence reports
recommended

World Health Organization WHO (2025) C_WHO

The guidelines are primarily intended for health-care professionals working in first- or second-level health-care facilities, including emergency, inpatient and outpatient services. They are also directed at policy-makers, health-care planners and programme managers, academic institutions, non-gover... 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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Factors associated with the unsuccessful TB treatment outcomes in the northern regions of Namibia: a mixed methods study

Amkongo, M.; Mitonga, H. K.; Alfeus, A.; et al. (2023) CC2

BMC Infectious Diseases volume 23, Article number: 342 (2023). Tuberculosis (TB) is among the leading causes of death globally. The disease has a huge burden in Namibia, with a case notification rate of at least 442 per 100,000. To date, Namibia is among the countries with the highest global TB bur... more

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Safety of artemisinin and non-artemisinin antimalarials in the first trimester of pregnancy

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2024) C_WHO

Malaria in pregnancy is a significant health problem in malaria-endemic areas. It not only causes substantial childhood morbidity and mortality but also increases the risks of adverse events for pregnant women and their developing fetuses. Most of the burden in these areas is due to infection with P... more

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ECSA report. Eastern, Central and Southern African Region - Education and Labor Markets for Nurses

World Bank Group; International Council of Nurses (2021) CC2

Challenges and Opportunities. This report presents a comprehensive assessment of the education and labor markets for nurses in the ECSA region. It documents the main challenges to train and deploy nurses and discusses opportunities for government and private sector employers to overcome these chall... more

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Evaluatin of the Namibian Community Health Workers Programme

UNICEF; USAID; Maternal and Child Survival Program (2017) C_UNICEF

In 2008 the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) commissioned a national health and social service system review which found that although some progress has been made in primary health care, provision of health services did not go beyond the health facilities, irrespective of the fast dist... more

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Theory of Change

Nutrition and Food Security Alliance of Namibia; UNFPA; UNICEF; et al. (2020) CC2

Early Identification and Early Intervention Services for Young Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities in Namibia Republic of Namibia Namibia Regional Consultations Report

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Efficacité de la chimioprévention du paludisme saisonnier à l’échelle de l’Afrique de l’Ouest et de l’Afrique centrale : une étude d’observation

Partenariat ACCESS-SMC (2020) CC

Lancet 2020 ; 396 : 1829-40

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Malaria Case Management Training Manual for Health Professionals in Ethiopa. Participant Manual

Federal Ministry of Health FMOH, EThiopia (2022) CC

This malaria case management training manual was developed by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) of Ethiopia, in collaboration with several national and international partners. Primarily based on WHO guidelines and training materials, as well as the 2022 national malaria guidelines and various te... more

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Social and Behaviour Change Communication Strategy for Prevention of Re-establishment of Malaria Transmission in Timor-Leste

Ministry of Health Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste; World Health Organization WHO (2025) C_WHO

The Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Strategy for the Prevention of the Re-establishment of Malaria Transmission in Timor-Leste forms part of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for 2021–2025. The strategy aims to support Timor-Leste's efforts to sustain malaria elimination by promot... more

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Message Guide for the Fight Against Malaria in Malawi

Ministry of Health of Malawi (2023) CC

This document was developed by the Ministry of Health in Malawi in collaboration with national and international partners. It introduces a Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) malaria message guide that is aligned with the National Malaria Communication Strategy (NMCS) for the period 2023–2030. The g... more

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Children and malaria: treating and protecting the most vulnerable

Medicines for Malaria Venture MMV (2019) C1

This document by Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) highlights the significant burden of malaria on children worldwide, emphasizing the need for effective prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies. It reviews current challenges and progress in combating pediatric malaria, advocating for conti... more

WHO guidelines on meningitis diagnosis, treatment and care. Web Annex B. Qualitative and economic evidence reports recommended

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

WHO guidelines on meningitis diagnosis, treatment and care. Web Annex B. Qualitative and economic evidence reports
recommended

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