We're in New York City today for the UN high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
At the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, we have seen that equity requires people affected by policies to play a role in their development and implementation, while predictability demands the engagement and support of civil society to maintain political priorities and accountability.
In Nigeria’s Kano State, civil society organizations (CSOs) worked with key decision-makers, including relevant government Ministries, Department, and Agencies, to form a coalition called the Kano State Health Security Advocacy Team. The coalition enlists stakeholders to ensure the sustainability of the funding gains, the prompt release of allocations and the efficient use of funds. A Health Security Accountability Framework is used to track funding levels and identify funding gaps. With input from LISDEL, BudgIT, Nigeria Health Watch and other CSOs, Kano State established an Emergency Preparedness budget line that has been sustained and increased over multiple years.
This is why pandemic prevention, preparedness and response must recognize the essential role of civil society in driving political agendas by formulating, delivering and tracking health policies and their outcomes. Political will cannot be imported or imposed; it is developed locally.