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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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Addressing Inequalities in Global Health: UNU IIGH Strategic Plan 2024–2028

United Nations University UNU (2024) C1

The 2019-2023 Strategy for UNU-IIGH, developed in 2018, built on UNU-IIGH’s strategic advantage and position vis-à-vis the UN and global health ecosystem. The Strategy set a goal to advance evidencebased policy on key issues related to sustainable development and health and shifted the Instit... more

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Turn Down The Heat

The World Bank (2012) CC

Why a 4°C warmer world must be avoided

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Global, regional, and national burden of mortality associated with non-optimal ambient temperatures from 2000 to 2019: a three-stage modelling study

Zhao,Q.; Guo Y., , Ye T., et al. (2021) C1

Lancet Planet Health 2021; 5: e415–25

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The Ethical Core of the Sustainable Development Goals: Planetary Health and Human Well-Being

Williston, B. (2021) CC

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Positioning zoonotic disease research in forced migration: A systematic literature review of theoretical frameworks and approaches

Tasker, A.; Braam, D. PLOS ONE (2021) C1

The emergence and transmission of zoonotic diseases are driven by complex interactions between health, environmental, and socio-political systems. Human movement is considered a significant and increasing factor in these processes, yet forced migration remains an understudied area of zoonotic res... more

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The Role of Faith, Values and Ethics in Strengthening Action for Nature and Environmental Governance

UN Environment Programme (2020) CC

This concept report was prepared by Faith for Earth Initiative in support of the efforts of the Government of Iceland to put forth a new resolution during UNEA 5.2 1

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Clean Household Energy Solutions Toolkit (CHEST)

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2018) C_WHO

Contains tools and resources for countries to develop clean household energy policies and programmes.

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Achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals within 9 planetary boundaries

Randers, J.; Rockström, J.; Stoknes, P. E.; et al. (2019) CC

The world agreed to achieve 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Nine planetary boundaries set an upper limit to Earth system impacts of human activity in the long run. Conventional efforts to achieve the 14 socio-economic goals will raise pressure on planetary boundaries, moving the world away... more

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Faith for Earth, A Call for Action

UN Environment Programme (2020) CC

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Human Development Report 2020. The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene

UN Development Programme UNDP (2020) CC

Overview. The COVID-19 pandemic is the latest crisis facing the world, but unless humans release their grip on nature, it won’t be the last, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which includes a new experimental index on human progress that takes into acco... more

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Kenya: The 2017 Long Rains Season Assessment Report

Government of Kenya (2017) C1

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Agenda para las Américas sobre salud, medioambiente y cambio climático 2021-2030

Pan American Health Organization (2021) C2

Esta publicación presenta la Agenda para las Américas sobre salud, medioambiente y cambio climático 2021-2030. Esta agenda es un llamamiento al sector de la salud para que lidere la labor a fin de abordar los determinantes ambientales de la salud en la Región de las Américas. La Organización P... more

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Leave no one behind: disaster resilience for sustainable development

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) (2018) C1

Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2017
The report looks at the extent and impact of natural disasters across the region and how these intersect with poverty, inequality and the effects of violent conflict. But it also shows how scientific and other advances have increased the potential for building di... more

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Integrating health in urban and territorial planning: a sourcebook

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

This sourcebook aims to detail why health needs to be part of urban and territorial planning and how to make this happen. It brings together two vital elements we need to build habitable cities on a habitable planet: 1) Processes to guide the development of human settlements – in this document ref... more

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Public Health Advice on preventing health effects of heat

World Health Organization WHO, Regional Office for Europe (2011) C_WHO

New and updated information. Adverse health effects of hot weather and heat-waves are largely preventable. Prevention requires a portfolio of actions at different levels:from health system preparedness, coordinated with meteorological early warning systems, to timely public ... more

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Agenda para as Américas sobre Saúde, Meio Ambiente e Mudança Climática 2021–2030

Pan American Health Organization (2021) C2

Esta publicação apresenta a Agenda para as Américas sobre Saúde, Meio Ambiente e Mudança Climática 2021–2030 (a Agenda). Esta Agenda é um apelo ao setor da saúde para que se posicione na vanguarda da abordagem aos determinantes ambientais da saúde nas Américas. A Organização Pan-Americ...ana da Saúde (OPAS) trabalhará com os Estados Membros para alcançar a meta e objetivo desta agenda: assegurar uma vida saudável e promover o bem-estar para todos, em todas as idades, usando um enfoque sustentável e equitativo que priorize a redução das iniquidades em saúde. A Agenda foi desenvolvido sob a égide da Estratégia Mundial da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) sobre a Saúde, o Meio Ambiente e a Mudança Climática e se baseia nos compromissos estabelecidos na Agenda de Saúde Sustentável para as Américas 2018–2030 e no Plano Estratégico da OPAS 2020–2025. A Agenda foi desenvolvida em consulta com o Grupo Técnico Assessor (GTA), por meio de um processo decisório consensual com os Estados Membros, durante os anos de 2019 e 2020. Para alcançar o Objetivo de Desenvolvimento Sustentável 3, a Agenda enfoca: melhoria do desempenho dos programas e instituições de saúde pública ambiental; promoção de sistemas de saúde ambientalmente resilientes e sustentáveis; e promoção de cidades e comunidades ambientalmente saudáveis e resilientes. A implementação da Agenda deverá ser contextual, com base nas necessidades e realidades de cada país. Ela beneficiará países e territórios ao promover boas práticas de governança; fortalecer as funções de liderança e coordenação do setor da saúde; favorecer ações intersetoriais; focar na prevenção primária; e melhorar as evidências e a comunicação. Facilitará o acesso aos recursos humanos, técnicos e financeiros necessários para abordar os determinantes ambientais da saúde e garantir que a Região esteja totalmente engajada nos processos e acordos globais de saúde, meio ambiente e mudança climática. O objetivo desta Agenda é fortalecer a capacidade dos atores da saúde, tanto no setor da saúde quanto em outros setores, para abordarem e se adaptarem aos determinantes ambientais da saúde (DAS), priorizando as populações que vivem em condições de vulnerabilidade, a fim de atingir o Resultado Intermediário 18 do Plano Estratégico da OPAS 2020–2025, diretamente, e vários outros resultados do Plano, indiretamente. Para enfrentar e se adaptar aos desafios dos DEA na Região, será necessária uma abordagem integrada e baseada em evidências dentro do setor da saúde e entre os setores, possibilitada e favorecida por boas práticas de governança, mecanismos de gestão adequados, vontade política de alto nível e dotação adequada de recursos humanos, técnicos, tecnológicos e financeiros. more

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Pollution and health: a progress update
recommended

Fuller, R.; et al. (2022) CC

The Lancet Planetary Health Published:May 17, 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00090-0 Every year pollution causes 9 million deaths—1 in every 6 deaths worldwide, according to a Lancet Commission on pollution and health. While the number of deaths caused by household air pollution a... more

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Resilient Urban Futures

Hamstead, Z.A.; D.M. Iwaniec, T. McPhearson; et al. (2021) CC

Open access book describing tools for engaging communities in resilience strategies Based on practical experience from participatory positive futures visioning in nine Latin American and US cities For students and professionals of different sectors including sustainability, engineering, ec... more

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Nepal: Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS), 2014

Ministry of Agricultural Development (2014) C1

Pollution and health: a progress update recommended

Pollution and health: a progress update
recommended