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Dr Sue Parry, WCC health and healing programme executive, in Nairobi. © WCC/Peter Kenny

Dr Sue Parry, WCC health and healing programme executive, in Nairobi. © WCC/Peter Kenny

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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 Organizations (FBOs) in Africa’s health sector was highlighted in the ACHAP meeting by participants representing the WCC, UNAIDS and FBOs.

The event was held from 22 to 26 February.

FBOs lobby multilateral donors, raising their voices to show their relevance in the African continent’s health sector, some participants stressed at the event.

The theme of the conference was “The Role of Faith-Based Health Services in Contributing to Universal Health Coverage in Africa.” The event brought together nearly 80 participants representing some 20 African countries.

At the meeting Dr Custodia Mandlhate, the World Health Organization Country Representative in Kenya, was the keynote speaker. She said, “The World Health Organization, which I represent here recognizes the critical role played by the Christian churches in providing important health care services, particularly to the poorest and needy populations.”

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 chairperson, in her closing remarks on 25 February.

“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.”

Participants in the discussions resolved to continue engaging with institutions such as the World Bank, WHO and UN agencies, development partners and international donor organizations for capacity building and technical support.

Website of the ACHAP

WCC health and healing programme