The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) builds support for government investments in epidemic preparedness.
Our Work
We draw on our extensive experience conducting health-focused advocacy campaigns around the world as we work with local partners to:
- Engage political decision-makers about the need to prioritize epidemic preparedness.
- Build government, civil society and media capacity to advocate for preparedness funding.
- Demonstrate demand for investments in preparedness in media and public discourse.
- Develop political strategies to remove bottlenecks affecting the allocation and spending of preparedness funds.
- Track budget writing, allocation and spending to inform advocacy.
Where we work:
Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal
Our Impact
- In Ghana, GHAI is working with government and civil society leaders to increase epidemic preparedness funding at the federal and district levels.
- In Nigeria, GHAI is working with partners to increase funding at the federal level for the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and other government agencies with health security functions and in Kano and Lagos states.
- In Senegal, GHAI built political consensus around a funding proposal for epidemic preparedness and response.
Success Story
The challenge:
Nigeria has made substantial progress toward increasing health security capacities and increased its overall Joint External Evaluation Score from a baseline of 39% (2017) to 46% (2019). However, faced with several challenges, funding for epidemic preparedness has been insufficient.
GHAI’s role:
GHAI worked closely with government and civil society leaders to make the case for epidemic preparedness. We analyzed the legal context and political landscape to inform strategy and empower advocates; engaged and sensitized decision-makers through workshops, site visits and other informative activities; and leveraged media to build consensus around the need for political action.
Results:
Funding for the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control more than doubled during the first three-years of the campaign to a record 3.9 billion Naira (US$9.3 million) in fiscal 2022. Additionally, the fiscal 2022 budget includes 1.46 billion Naira (US$3.5 million) in new funding to government offices with health security functions, for a total allocation of 1.6 billion Naira (US$3.9 million).
Budget Advocacy Framework and Toolkit
GHAI developed a Budget Advocacy Toolkit for Epidemic Preparedness to serve as a training resource for epidemic preparedness advocacy based on GHAI’s Budget Advocacy Framework for Increased and Sustained Epidemic Preparedness Investment. The Budget Advocacy Framework and Toolkit were designed to support advocacy for increased and sustained domestic investments in epidemic preparedness.
The Budget Advocacy Toolkit for Epidemic Preparedness is a step-by-step learning resource based on our experience and lessons learned through advocacy for increased epidemic preparedness budgets in Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana, and provides instructive questions and worksheets to guide the planning and implementation of an advocacy campaign for epidemic preparedness financing.
The Budget Advocacy Toolkit for Epidemic Preparedness was developed with support from Resolve to Save Lives and may be accessed at www.budgetadvocacy.org.
Program Resources
PHOTO CREDITS
1. Nigeria Health Watch hosts an event entitled “Power Mapping: Preparing for Infectious Disease Outbreaks in Nigeria” on December 6, 2018, in Abuja. Photo by: Nigeria Health Watch
2. ONG 3D Executive Director Moundiaye Cisse meets with President Macky Sall on Marh 26, 2020, in Accra, Ghana. Photo by: ONG 3D
3. The Nigeria Health Watch Forum on April 24, 2019, themed “Prevent Epidemics: Immunise,” featured, among others (from left to right): Nigeria Health Watch’s Dr. Ifeanyi Nsofor; Dr. Chizoba Wonodi, country director of the International Vaccine Access Centre at John Hopkins School of Public Health; Alhaji Palnam Usman, head of operations at the Department of Logistics and Health Commodities; Dr. James Onoja Attah, immunization expert with the European Union Support to Immunization Governance in Nigeria project; Ogenetega Iortim, co-founder and CEO of Gricd; and Azuka Okeke, regional director of the Africa Resource Centre. Photo by: Nigeria Health Watch
Funding for this program provided by Resolve to Save Lives.
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