Friday, 29 March, 2024
HomeSub-Saharan RoundupChurch-based health bodies urge engagement

Church-based health bodies urge engagement

The Africa Christian Health Platform (ACHAP) has urged governments in the region to engage strongly with church-based health bodies as crucial partners in achieving Universal Health Care, at the conclusion of its biannual meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. ACHAP is a forum of Christian health associations and networks from sub-Saharan Africa, established in 2007 with support from the World Council of Churches (WCC).

The significance of the Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) in Africa's health sector was highlighted in the ACHAP meeting by participants representing the WCC, UNAIDS and FBOs. Dr Sue Parry from the WCC's health and healing programme, said, "Ebola… has shown us that just when global financing had shifted from a focus on infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) the world was confronted with an Ebola crisis of unprecedented scale, geographical coverage and duration". "But every crisis gives us an opportunity and that is what we want to tap into," she said.

"We are witnesses to the changes in the global health financing landscape that point to the need to achieve a balance between reducing finances and increasing health challenges," said Karen Sichinga, the ACHAP chair. "We need to engage the private sector in a more aggressive way that will yield partnerships bridging divides across the health system landscape," said Sichinga. "The changing landscape of health financing which includes Health Insurance, performance based financing, community health financing and other financing paradigms, is an invitation to acquire new skills and ways of doing business," she added.

Sichinga went on to say, "In ACHAP we must strengthen our information systems so they can better inform our decisions as well as expand our visibility as a competent, competitive, reliable, transparent and credible health actor in Africa."

[link url="http://allafrica.com/stories/201503020482.html"]World Council of Churches material[/link]

MedicalBrief — our free weekly e-newsletter

We'd appreciate as much information as possible, however only an email address is required.