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University of York

University hosts workshop to improve health systems and services across Africa

Posted on 6 April 2023

Health experts from the University of York were joined by partners from African Union Member States for a major workshop exploring how to promote an increase in domestic funding for health systems and services across the continent.

Delegates at the Thanzi Workshop in March 2023Delegates gather at the Thanzi Programme Partners Workshop.

The Thanzi Programme Partners Workshop: supporting the realisation of the ALM-Declaration was hosted by a team at York’s Centre for Health Economics (CHE), in collaboration with Thanzi research partner the East Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC), and the African Union agency known as AUDA-NEPAD. 

Promote

The workshop, which was held in early March, focused on a 2019 commitment signed by heads of all African Union member states to promote an increase in domestic funding for health systems and services across Africa. 

An objective of that commitment included building understanding of healthcare financing in Africa and the workshop presented an opportunity to consider how international research communities can realise these objectives.

Outcomes

And the workshop saw two major outcomes: the launch of new Health Economics Distance Learning MSc Scholarships for students from across Africa was announced, with the first intake commencing in September 2023, and a commitment was made to establish a regional Health Economics Community of Practice in West Africa, led by the West African Health Organisation. This HE-COP would be a sister community to the already well-established HE-COP operating in the East Central and Southern Africa region, administered by ECSA-HC.

Spillovers

AUDA-NEPAD’s Senior Advisor, Professor Aggrey Ambali, said: “Africa can no longer continue to rely on research and development diffusion and technology spillovers from developed countries. Health research therefore needs to be recognised as a priority and critical component of the African Leaders Meeting and supporting the Regional Health Financing Hubs.” 

The African Leaders Meeting Declaration (ALM-Declaration) seeks to put in place technical mechanisms that will contribute towards increasing domestic health investments while driving economic growth.

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