International Fund Hails Launch of Africa Well being Workforce Funding Constitution
06 Could 2024
WINDHOEK – The International Fund to Combat AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the International Fund), warmly welcomes the launch of the Africa Well being Workforce Funding Constitution, which was signed at this time in Windhoek, Namibia, on the Africa Well being Workforce Funding Discussion board.
The African continent bears 1 / 4 of the worldwide illness burden and endures over 100 well being emergencies a yr. But half of the worldwide scarcity in well being staff impacts the continent, which has solely 4% of the worldwide workforce. To this point, 1 in 3 certified well being staff in Africa is unemployed or underemployed, given difficult macro-economic contexts, imbalances in well being labor markets, unfavorable working circumstances in well being, and safeguarding and safety dangers. The World Well being Group (WHO) forecasts that its African Area (47 nations) will face an estimated shortfall of 5.3 million well being staff by 2030.
The Constitution – developed by WHO in collaboration with African Member States, the International Fund and different companions – units out core rules geared toward stimulating and aligning sustainable long-term funding in well being workforce schooling and employment creation round a standard nationwide funding plan, rooted in strong evaluation just like the well being labor market evaluation. This can scale back duplication and potential inefficiencies, and, in flip, assist mobilize extra sources nations must progress in the direction of common well being protection and the supply of an important well being package deal. The primary goal is to chop well being employee shortages by half in African nations by 2030.
“The launch of the Africa Well being Workforce Funding Constitution is a big milestone for the African continent and for all buyers within the well being workforce, and we’re proud to have supported its growth and signed it,” mentioned Shunsuke Mabuchi, Head of Resilient and Sustainable Techniques for Well being and Pandemic Preparedness and Response on the International Fund. “We commend our companions’ sturdy endorsement of the well being workforce rules and actions enshrined within the Constitution, and we sit up for supporting its implementation.”
The International Fund has constantly invested in human sources for well being (HRH), with funding allotted to this space representing the most important share of well being and group methods investments throughout funding cycles. Over the 2024-2026 interval, the International Fund is investing US$1.9 billion in HRH – together with US$1.3 billion in Africa, with virtually 60% of this quantity allotted to the remuneration of the well being workforce. This assist spans totally different areas which might be aligned to nation methods and plans. We’re at present supporting 16 African nations to advance HRH strategic planning processes and dialogue to progressively shift from vertical HRH assist to built-in workforce planning, with a deal with main well being care workforce growth. This additionally contains assist and engagement in well being labor market evaluation and different HRH analyses. Our assist to schooling in Africa, together with pre-service coaching, reached US$12 million within the present cycle, a serious space of development in comparison with the earlier cycles. We’re supporting revolutionary methods to ship workforce coaching and growth, selling digitalization, rationalization and accreditation coaching programs.
Within the present 2024-2026 interval, about half of the International Fund’s complete investments in HRH in Africa – US$634 million – particularly assist group well being staff. This represents 70% of the worldwide funding in group well being staff. Aligned with nationwide plans, these investments allow group well being staff to be skilled, remunerated, outfitted, supervised, counted and guarded, and to be totally built-in in main well being care groups. We additionally present funding for advocacy efforts geared toward securing authorized safety and recognition for group well being staff, with the aim of guaranteeing they obtain the suitable pay and dealing circumstances they deserve.
The International Fund helps the Monrovia Name to Motion, which advocates for the professionalization of group well being staff, and the Lusaka Agenda, which requires extra investments to strengthen resilient well being methods, together with on the group stage.
