Reports and Blogs

Reports

Reports, white papers, and journal articles that add to the knowledge base of financing for health.

Mind the Global Community Health Funding Gap

Some analysts question whether CHW programs are affordable in the most impoverished countries and whether CHW program ambitions should be scaled back. This article maps a series of pathways, tested in countries by the Financing Alliance for Health and its partners, that even the most under-resourced governments can follow to avoid abandoning opportunities to improve the health of their communities and grow their economies. Every country should have a plan for their health system. Even starting with realistic ambitions and high affordability starts the process of prioritizing health and offers a point from which to grow.

–> Read the full paper on the Global Health: Science and Practice site.

Community health workers at the dawn of a new era: Programme financing

The global shortage of human resources for health is projected to rise to 18 million health workers by 2030, with more acute shortages in Africa and South Asia. Community health workers (CHWs) have an important role to play in mitigating this shortage because of their effectiveness (when properly trained and supported) and the feasibility of their deployment. A 2021 search of peer-reviewed journals and grey literature demonstrates that the financing of national CHW programmes is a critical element that has not received sufficient emphasis in the academic literature.

–> Read the full paper on the BioMedCentral site.

Closing the $2 Billion Gap

Lancet Report on Child Survival

Despite dramatic improvements in survival, nutrition, and education over recent decades, today’s children face an uncertain future. Climate change, ecological degradation, migrating populations, conflict, pervasive inequalities, and predatory commercial practices threaten the health and future of children in every country. In 2015, the world’s countries agreed on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), yet nearly 5 years later, few countries have recorded much progress towards achieving them. This Commission presents the case for placing children, aged 0–18 years, at the centre of the SDGs: at the heart of the concept of sustainability and our shared human endeavour. Governments must harness coalitions across sectors to overcome ecological and commercial pressures to ensure children receive their rights and entitlements now and a liveable planet in the years to come.

–> Read the full paper on the Lancet site.

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Blogs

Articles and blogs that detail the importance of community health, CHWs, and financing for health.

Why counties must invest in community health services

Africa Frontline First is an initiative to fund community health programs in sub-Saharan Africa. While this initiative aims to deploy 200,000 professional CHWs by 2030, existing community health volunteers lack essential resources and financial incentives. In this piece, two CHVs from Kenya discuss why county governments must invest in community health services.

–> read more at Nation Africa

How health workers are leading Africa’s COVID-19 response

Community health workers have long responded to disease outbreaks while maintaining lifesaving services. In this September 2021 opinion piece, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia’s president from 2006 to 2018, and Dr. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, share their thoughts on investments that should be prioritized to end the COVID-19 pandemic and realize health for all.

–> read more at Devex

COVID-19 highlights the need for community health

Over recent years, the world has faced two Ebola outbreaks, the constant threat of pandemic influenza, and now the global spread of novel coronavirus and the COVID-19 pandemic. In developing countries, these threats risk exacerbating existing high burdens of communicable diseases associated with millions of preventable deaths. Community health is essential for pandemic preparedness (prevention, surveillance, response) and remains essential for achieving the World Health Organization’s Sustainable Development Goals. The global scale and impact of the current pandemic demonstrates that this cuts across geographies, levels of income, and types of health systems.

–> read more at Think Global Health