R4D managing director, Dr. Marty Makinen, was a key participant at the Africa Health Economics Policy Association's (AfHEA's) conference this week. "Towards Universal Health Coverage in Africa" was this year's conference theme. Dr. Makinen presented on an Assessment of the Role of the Private Sector in the Health Sector in Ghana and facilitated a plenary session on "The Role of Leadership and Country Ownership in Achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC)" with high-level officials.
The private health sector assessment for Ghana was a large-scale collaborative effort guided by Ghana's Ministry of Health, financed by the IFC/World Bank, and conducted by R4D, Bitran y Asociados, Centre for Health and Social Services (CHeSS) and African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET). The assessment devised achievable, action-oriented recommendations to Ghana's government on coordinating efforts between the public and private health sectors.
The plenary session on "The Role of Leadership and Country Ownership in Achieving UHC" included high level leaders from two Ministerial Leadership Initiative for Global Health (MLI) partner countries, Mali and Senegal. The session was chaired by Dr. Oumar Ouattara, Program Director of CARE International Mali and former director general of Union Technique de Mutualité, and featured a panel with Dr. Moussa Mbaye, Secretary General of Senegal's Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dr. Mohammed Dogo-Muhammad, Nigeria’s National Health Insurance Scheme's CEO and Executive Secretary, and Rosann Wismann, Director of MLI. Promoting country ownership and strengthening ministerial leadership is the primary focus of MLI, a partnership between R4D, the Aspen Institute’s Global Health and Development, and the Council of Women World Leaders. This session raised provocative questions about the types of leadership necessary for UHC, and sustaining UHC efforts when leadership changes occur.
AfHEA members are African experts and students in health economics, financing, policy and related fields. The association's mission is to contribute to the promotion and strengthening of the use of health economics and health policy analysis in achieving equitable and efficient African health systems and improved health outcomes for Africans, especially the most vulnerable populations. AfHEA provides a forum for peer-to-peer sharing and dissemination of research on health economics and policy challenges African countries encounter.
Click here for additional information on the 2011 AfHEA Conference.