Introduction
Financing is a key determinant of whether women, children, and adolescents receive essential healthcare without financial hardship, aligning with the goal of universal health coverage (UHC). While global analyses of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) financing exist, there is a critical need for country-level assessments to help policymakers optimize resource allocation and improve health outcomes.
As part of the Countdown project, two webinars were conducted on RMNCH financing, revealing a strong demand from in-country researchers for further training on RMNCH financing analyses.These will be followed by two weeklong in-person workshops for researchers and practitioners in sub-Saharan Africa, equipping them with the skills to analyse RMNCH financing at the country level. The program is also expected to create a network of RMNCH financing researchers and policymakers across sub-Saharan Africa.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION – 2 April 2025
Aim
To equip country teams with the skills to analyse health and RMNCH financing effectively.
Learning Objectives
The course will be tailored to participants’ needs through an initial survey. We expect that by the end of the program, participants will be able to:
- Identify, access, and use global and country-level RMNCH financing data sources.
- Conduct resource mapping and expenditure tracking exercises.
- Perform equity analyses of health and RMNCH financing.
- Understand efficiency analyses of health and RMNCH financing.
- Develop policy briefs to communicate findings to policymakers.
Participants
The program targets researchers and practitioners in sub-Saharan Africa working in government, universities, or national public health institutions. Participants should have basic statistical training and expertise in Microsoft Excel. A maximum of 50 participants per workshop will be enrolled.
Format
The program will use a blended learning approach, including:
- Three webinars,
- A one-week in-person workshop, and
- Ongoing virtual support through emails and video calls.
The program will be offered in both French and English.
Structure
1. Pre-Workshop Webinar
This session will introduce participants to key data sources for health and RMNCH financing at global and country levels, such as:
- OECD’s Creditor Reporting System
- Muskoka2
- WHO’s Global Health Expenditure Database (GHED)
- National Health Accounts
- Government budgets and household surveys
Practical exercises will include downloading Muskoka2 and GHED data for their country. By the end of the webinar, participants are expected to have gathered the necessary data for the workshop. However, those who do not have all the required data will still be able to participate. To ensure everyone can complete the exercises, the course delivery team will provide datasets from five countries—Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia—during the workshop.
2. Face-to-Face Workshops
A one-week in-person workshop will be held in:
- Dakar, Senegal (French-language cohort) the week of the 12th of May 2025
- Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (English-language cohort) the week of the 2nd of June 2025
Workshop Learning Objectives:
- Understand health financing systems, resource generation, and key research questions.
- Conduct resource mapping and expenditure tracking analyses using national data.
- Perform health and RMNCH financing equity analyses.
- Explore efficiency analyses in health and RMNCH financing.
The workshop will combine lectures and practical exercises, as outlined below:
| Day | Topic | Activities |
| Day 1 | Introduction to health financing | Lecture 1: The health financing system. Key principles and research questions.
Practical 1: Creating a financing tree and identifying top research priorities. Lecture 2: Aim and objectives of the workshop. Overview of the analyses that will be taught, their purpose and data that will be used for each. Practical 2: Data sources refresher |
| Day 2 | Resource Mapping & Expenditure Tracking (RMET) | Lecture 3: RMET concepts; group discussion
Lecture 4: How to conduct RMET Practical 3: Resource mapping. |
| Day 3 | Muskoka 2 & Introduction to Equity | Practical 5: Expenditure tracking
Lecture 5: Equity in health financing; group discussion |
| Day 4 | Equity & Efficiency Analysis | Practical 6: Equity analysis
Lecture 6: Efficiency analysis of health financing. |
| Day 5 | Group Presentations & Wrap-up | Participants present progress; discussion on next steps. |
Participants are unlikely to complete all analyses during the workshop. However, they are expected to gain the necessary skills to conduct these analyses independently and finalize them afterward.
3. Post-Workshop Webinars
Two follow-up webinars will be conducted:
- Webinar 2: Address participants’ questions on resource tracking, including RMET, and equity analyses as they continue their work post-workshop.
- Webinar 3: Guide participants through writing a policy brief to maximize the impact of their analyses with decision-makers.
4. Virtual Support
After the final webinar, participants will receive ongoing support (up to 2 months after the workshop) via email and one-on-one calls to finalize their analyses and develop policy briefs and research papers.
Registration of interest
Candidates need a good knowledge of excel and of health financing, and ideally some knowledge of a statistical software such as STATA (but not a pre-requisite). The capacity building programme is opened to all LMICs.
Please register your interest by completing the google form available here.