GFAN Call: Briefing on the African Leadership Summit January 30th, 2019

ALM: Overview Over the past several decades, a robust and growing commitment to global health has led to improved access to healthcare and health outcomes across the African continent, contributing to greater political stability and economic growth. However, much work remains to be done, with more than half of Africa’s population lacking access to essential health services, and millions of Africans dying annually from preventable diseases. In the current context of plateauing development assistance for health (DAH) and an unprecedented number of global health replenishment campaigns, it is critical that African countries and stakeholders increase domestic financing for health to ensure access to health care continues to improve. The Africa Leadership Meeting: Investing in Health (ALM) will be convened on the eve of the African Union Summit by the African Union (AU) and current AU President, HE. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, to launch a new initiative designed to help deliver increased, sustained and more impactful financing for health across Africa. The meeting  provides a unique opportunity to bring together African Heads of State and Government, the private and development sectors to coordinate efforts and resources for health, ensuring that no one is left behind and accelerating progress toward Universal Health Coverage. 

ALM: Goals The ultimate goal of the Africa Leadership Meeting: Investing in Health is to secure full, healthy lives for all through: Sufficient, sustainable and efficient financing. African Heads of State and Government will renew commitments to increase percentage of GDP invested in health at the ALM. Regional health financing hubs will subsequently be established, providing a platform to harmonize development efforts with country priorities and reorient health spending toward interventions that will deliver the greatest measurable impact. Cooperation for increased impact. Public, private, and development partners will work through these health financing hubs to align approaches and share best practices to ensure that the strategies in place are diversified, balanced, efficient and sustainable. Tracking and reporting on progress. The African Union Commission will develop a domestic health financing ‘Tracker’ that will complement the Africa Scorecard on Domestic Financing for Health, which will enable AU member states to track progress on domestic financing and the efficacy of its allocation, pooling, and use.