the aid library

LIST OPTIONS

External Link

Investigating the zoonotic origin of the West African Ebola epidemic

Almudena Marí Saéz, Sabrina Weiss, Kathrin Nowak,et al. (2014)

DOI 10.15252/emmm.201404792 |Published online 30.12.2014 EMBO Molecular Medicine(2014)emmm.201404792

Download (46)

View PDF (32)

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

External Link

Assessing Health Vulnerabilities and Adaptation to Climate Change

Berry, P.; P. M. Enright, J. Shumake-Guillemot et al. (2018) CC

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(12), 2626; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15122626 Climate change is increasing risks to human health and to the health systems that seek to protect the safety and well-being of populations. Health authorities require information about current associatio... more

Download (202)

View PDF (243)

In Danger: UNAIDS Global AIDS Update 2022
recommended

UNAIDS (2022) C_WHO

Progress in prevention and treatment is faltering around the world, putting millions of people in grave danger. Eastern Europe and central Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa have all seen increases in annual HIV infections over several years. In Asia and the Pacific, UNAIDS da... more

Download (934)

View PDF (1413)

Ebola virus disease preparedness strengthening team Guinea-Bissau country visit 12–20 November 2014

World Health Organization (2014)

The main objective of this mission was to assess the level of preparedness of Guinea-Bissau in respect of the WHO consolidated checklist. The checklist helps countries to assess and test their level of readiness it is being used to identify concrete action to be taken and where countries will requir... more

Download (769)

View PDF (1550)

Ebola virus disease preparedness strengthening team Cameroon Country Visit 10 to 14 November

World Health Organization (2014)

The immediate objective of the country visit to Cameroon was to ensure that the country is as operationally ready as possible to effectively and safely detect, investigate and report potential Ebola virus disease cases and to mount an effective response that will prevent a larger outbreak. After te... more

Download (145)

View PDF (142)

Child marriage in Senegal

Save the children Save the children (2020) C2

Accessed on 02.02.2020 Child marriage is a serious Violation of human Rights and a severe form of child abuse, and disproportionately affects girls.

Download (273)

View PDF (301)

Note technique: Éducation, autonomisation des filles et éradication des mutilations génitales féminines

UN Children's Fund UNICEF (2021) C1

External Link

Accountability for women’s and children’s health

Flavia Bustreo, Marie-Paule Kieny, Lale Say et al. World Health Organization WHO (2015) C_WHO

Progress Report

Download (342)

View PDF (396)

Classification of digital health interventions v1.0. A shared language to describe the uses of digital technology for health

World Health Organization (2018) C_WHO

The classification of digital health interventions (DHIs) categorizes the different ways in which digital and mobile technologies are being used to support health system needs. Historically, the diverse communities working in digital health—including government stakeholders, technologists, clinic... more

Download (603)

View PDF (1258)

Risk assessment on yellow fever virus circulation in endemic countries

World Health Organization WHO (2014) C_WHO

Working document from an informal consultation of experts. A Protocol for risk assessment at the field level. The purpose of document is to provide guidance on the methodology to be used for assessing, at field level, the yellow fever virus circulation in areas at risk, and is primarily intended fo... more

Download (721)

View PDF (930)

Vitamin A Supplementation Programs and Country-Level Evidence of Vitamin A Deficiency

Wirth, James P.; Petry, Nicolai and others (2017) CC

Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) programs targeted at children aged 6–59 months are implemented in many countries. By improving immune function, vitamin A (VA) reduces mortality associated with measles, diarrhea, and other illnesses. There is currently a debate regarding the relevance of VAS, but a... more

Download (1244)

View PDF (1642)

Socio-economic Impacts of the Ebola Virus Disease on Africa. Revised Edition

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (2015)

Download (426)

View PDF (571)

An Assessment of Contraceptive Use by Marriage Type among Sexually Active Men in Nigeria: Analysis of the 2013 Demographic and Health Survey.

Asa, S.S., A. Titilayo, and J. A. Kupoluyi. ICF International (2016) C2

DHS Working Papers No. 124

Download (202)

View PDF (214)

West & Central Africa HIV catch-up - WHO in an era of transformation

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

The Transformation Agenda (TA) ushered in an ambitious reform process intended to transform the World Health Organization (WHO) into an organization that is proactive, results-driven, accountable and which meets stakeholder expectations, towards transforming and improving public health services in t... more

Download (305)

View PDF (426)

Trends in Demographic and Reproductive Health Indicators in Ethiopia

Zachary, Blake, Zhuzhi Moore, and Pav Govindasamy ICF International (2013) C2

Data from the 2000, 2005, and 2011 Demographic and Health Surveys. DHS Trend Reports No. 7

Download (135)

View PDF (188)

Survey on human resource capacity in public health - Supply chain management in Burkina Faso

Bioforce Development Institute – Burkina Faso Country Survey (2011) C2

This survey is part of a series of eight country surveys conducted in the context of the People that Deliver Initiative (peoplethatdeliver.org). This global initiative, which brings together the world’s largest organizations, aims to improve health services performance through the professionalizat... more