RHCS Activities in Africa

1. RHCS Activities in Africa Dr Kechi F. Ogbuagu UNFPA CST, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2. UNFPA’s Approach to RHCS In Africa • Address Commodity Shortfalls • All urgent requests met, majority in SSA • Strengthened RHCS through national capacity development, advocacy and coordination.

3. Improved Quality of Collaborative/Joint Planning for RHCS Interventions • Interventions at both regional and national levels. • Bottom –up approach. Countries identified their needs and submitted proposals. • Collaborating regional institutions identified their regional needs based soon their country needs. • RHCS Planning Meeting Jan/Feb 2005, Addis • Country proposals summarised and commodities and capacity requests clearly identified.

4. Improved Quality of Collaborative/Joint Planning for RHCS Interventions • Regional Planning Meeting For operationalising Country Plans in Addis • Participants RHCS focal points from government and UNFPA COs • 38 RHCS Country workplans • 3 RHCS sub-regional workplans • Africa Regional RHCS Workplan • In-country support for development of National RHCS Strategic Plans: • Eritrea, Zanzibar, Angola, Namibia.

5. Improved Availability of Technical Support for RHCS 3 Pronged Strategy for Technical Support: • Identification of and building the capacity of a Core Group of RHCS Experts for technical support to countries. • Collaboration with RHCS partners, e.g. JSI/Deliver • Regional/sub-regional approach to capacity building to maximise support.

6. Improved Availability of Technical Support for RHCS • Three Pronged Strategy: • UNFPA’s RHCS Advisers working with- Regional/sub-regional strategy for capacity building RHCS Consultants Partners- e.g. JSI/Deliver

7. Improved Availability of Information for RHCS • RHCS Situation Analysis: • Situation analysis tool developed including FC situation analysis • Completed in Eritrea, Zanzibar, Angola and Namibia. • Advocacy through stakeholders meetings • Result – Comprehensive situation analysis for: • Development of RHCS Strategic Plans • System strengthening • Advocacy and resource mobilisation • Policy dialogue

8. Improved In-Country Coordination of RHCS Interventions • Support to Government for the establishment/strengthening of RHCS Coordinating bodies/mechanisms • Country Examples: • Rwanda • Ethiopia • Eritrea – end of May • Zanzibar - planned • Angola - planned

9. Improved In- Country Capacity for Monitoring RHCS • EAC Indicators database • 26 RH/RHCS Indicators accepted and incorporated into EAC database for tracking progress in RH/RHCS in Partner States. • 8 RHCS specific indicators. • M&E Training workshop for RHCS Focal Points

10. Increased In-Country Advocacy In Support of RHCS • WAHO Minister’s of Health Meeting, Dakar, Nov 2005 - Ministerial commitment for establishment of budget line for RH Commodities in all Western Africa Countries. • Establishment of budget line for RH Commodities including contraceptives • Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Eritrea, Niger, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mauritania, Botswana, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Swaziland

11. Increased In-Country Advocacy In Support of RHCS • Meeting of Health Ministers in Gaborone, October 2005 - – background paper and presentation on RHCS helped in securing consensus for Special Ministerial Meeting on SRH in 2006 with RHCS high on agenda. • Advocacy capacity building workshop for Members of the Parliamentary Health Committees in 14 countries in East and Central Africa to be hosted by EAC in June.

12. Increased Availability of Resources for RH Commodities • Within the context of SWAps – Tanzania experience • Through increased allocation within budget lines – Kenya, Zanzibar

13. Increased Collaboration with Regional Institutions • Agreement with EAC on a Strategic Action Plan for UNFPA/EAC collaboration in RH/RHCS. • Incorporation of 26 RH/RHCS indicators in the EAC database. • Support for the development of the WAHO RHCS Strategy in collaboration with other partners. • Technical support for the development of the EAC and WAHO Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) with support of Data Advisers.

14. Lessons Learnt • UNFPA’s leadership and brokerage role within countries recognised and valued by government partners. • Regional and sub-regional approach can be effectively used to achieve results. • Effective exploitation of partners comparative advantages crucial. • Pool of experts can be effectively mobilised and empowered to provide much needed additional support to countries.

15. Challenges • Using the core group of trained RHCS experts in a sustainable manner. • Ensuring effective partnership at country level in support of expected increase in demand for technical and financial assistance for RHCS • How to sustain collaboration with regional institutions and ensure that commitments are met (technically and financially)

16. Challenges • Funds allocated within RH Budget lines are actually released. • How to strengthen government procurement systems as part of move towards sustainability. • Implications of national coordination of RHCS within the context of SWAps and other programme based approaches.

17. Thanks you for your kind attention.