the aid library

LIST OPTIONS

Filter

6548

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

Download (430)

View PDF (542)

Evaluation of WHO's contribution to maternal health in the South-East Asia Region

World Health Organization (WHO), Regional Office for South-East-Asia (2016) C_WHO

The Report describes the evaluation of WHO's contribution to the Maternal Health Program in South-East Asia Region. This was an independent evaluation conducted in 2015 by Amaltas, a Delhi based organization. The evaluation highlights the progress in five countries, namely Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mya... more

Download (191)

View PDF (169)

High-Performance Health Financing for Universal Health Coverage

The World Bank The World Bank (2019) CC

The majority of developing countries will fail to achieve their targets for Universal Health Coverage (UHC)1 and the health- and poverty-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) unless they take urgent steps to strengthen their health financing. Just over a decade out from the SDG deadline of 20... more

External Link

Making local health services accountable.

GIZ BMZ (2015) C1

Social auditing in Nepal’s health sector

Download (192)

View PDF (206)

Intention to action series: Regional reflections. Analysis from informal regional consultations with people living with noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

This report includes analysis from informal regional consultations in the African Region, the Caribbean and North America, Latin America, South-East Asia Region, European Region, Eastern Mediterranean Region, alongside three forums in the Western Pacific Region. It analyses the overarching similarit... more

Download (225)

View PDF (266)

The Global Drug Policy Index 2021

Global Commission on Drug Policy (2021) CC

The power of the Global Drug Policy Index lies in its key objective: to score and rank how countries are faring in different areas of drug policy as identified in the UN report ‘What we have learned over the last ten years: A summary of knowledge acquired and produced by the UN system on drug-r... more

External Link

WHO Quality Toolkit: Navigating tools to improve the quality of health services
recommended

World Health Organization WHO (2022) C_WHO

The WHO Quality Toolkit: Navigating tools to improve the quality of health services helps easy identification and access to a wide range of WHO published materials to improve the quality of health services. These tools support the actions described in the Quality health services: a planning guide, w... more

Download (2017)

View PDF (1624)

Natural Ventilation for Infection Control in Health-Care Settings

World Health Organization WHO (2009) CC

In this guideline, natural ventilation is considered  among one the effective measures to control infections in health care. This guideline provides  a design and operation guide for hospital planners, engineers, architects and infection control  personnel. The recommendations in this guidelin... more

Download (178)

View PDF (222)

Building Resilient Health Systems to Advance toward Universal Health in the Americas: Lessons from COVID-19

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) (2023) C_WHO

This brochure presents a summary of the situation of health systems and services in the Americas as they progress toward the achievement of universal access to health and universal health coverage (universal health). The information provided presents an overview of the situation before the COVID-19 ... more

Download (100)

View PDF (100)

Intention to action series: Regional reflections. Analysis from informal regional consultations with people living with noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions 2023 WHO

World Health Organization (WHO) World Health Organization (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

Download (1212)

View PDF (1092)

Myanmar National Water Policy (Burmese Version)

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Ministry of Transport, National Water Resources Committee (2014) C1

Download (294)

View PDF (378)

Philippines: A Training Manual for Health Workers on Healthy Lifestyle - Overview of Major Noncommunicable Diseases (Module 1/6)

World Health Organization (WHO) and DOH Philippines (2009) C_WHO

Download (1104)

View PDF (1212)

Health Systems in Action: An eHandbook for Leaders and Managers - CHAPTER 8 - Managing Medicines And Health Products

Malcolm Clark; Andy Barraclough Management Sciences for Health (2010) C1

Full eHandbook under: http://www.msh.org/resources/health-systems-in-action-an-ehandbook-for-leaders-and-managers Effective supply management has the potential to make a powerful contribution to the reliable availability of essential medicines, which are a crucial part of the delivery of highqualit... more

Download (2026)

View PDF (1875)

Climate Information For Public Health: A Curriculum For Best Practices

Laurence Cibrelus; Gilma Mantilla International Research Institute for Climate and Society (2011) C1

CIPH Curriculum for Best Practices. Putting Principles to Work

Download (200)

View PDF (285)

Making every school a health-promoting school. Global standards and indicators

World Health Organization WHO (2021) C_WHO

No education system is effective unless it promotes the health and well-being of its students, staff and community. These strong links have never been more visible and compelling than in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Towards making every school a health-promoting school: Let’s start with a... more

Download (306)

View PDF (460)

Philippines: A Training Manual for Health Workers on Healthy Lifestyle - An Approach for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, Trainers Guide

WHO and DOH Philippines (2009) C_WHO

This revised trainer's guide contains a prototype training schedule for four days. Teaching and learning strategies are highly interactive, using participatory and experiential approach. Training outcomes include developing skills in assessment of clients for risk factors; conduct basic screening pr... more

Download (136)

View PDF (198)

Prevention, identification and management of health worker infection in the context of COVID-19
recommended

World Health Organization WHO (2020) CC

This document provides interim guidance on the prevention, identification and management of health worker infection in the context of COVID-19. It is intended for occupational health departments, infection prevention and control departments or focal points, health facility administrators and public ... more

Download (474)

View PDF (463)

Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) Legal Framework Guide

African Union; Africa CDC Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (2021) CC

A public health emergency operation center (PHEOC) serves as a hub for better coordinating the preparation, response, and recovery for public health emergencies. A functional PHEOC is critical for the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). The Framework for a Public Healt... more

Download (178)

View PDF (254)

Roadmap for the Global Health for Peace Initiative: Draft

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

This draft Roadmap for the Global Health for Peace Initiative has been developed in response to decision WHA75(24) of the 75th World Health Assembly (2022), which requested that WHO develop, in full consultation with Member States and Observers, and in full collaboration with other organizations of ... more

Download (339)

View PDF (358)

Youth-centred digital health digital health interventions

World Health Organization WHO (2020) C_WHO

A framework for planning, developing and implementing solutions with and for young people. The guidance presented in this document is intended for digital health intervention designers, developers, implementers, researchers and funders. Newcomers to digital health can use it as a start-to-finish pr... more

WHO Quality Toolkit: Navigating tools to improve the quality of health services recommended

Prevention, identification and management of health worker infection in the context of COVID-19 recommended

WHO Quality Toolkit: Navigating tools to improve the quality of health services
recommended

Prevention, identification and management of health worker infection in the context of COVID-19
recommended