TheCable

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) says it will commit $415 million annually to support five countries in accelerating primary health care (PHC).

The countries are Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi.

In a statement on Wednesday, USAID said the COVID pandemic resulted in the largest global reduction in life expectancy in a century.

It said the partnership will help the countries to reclaim lost ground from the COVID pandemic, increase preparedness against future health threats, and improve primary healthcare outcomes.

“Today, at the U.S.- Africa Leaders Summit in Washington D.C., the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is announcing new partnerships to accelerate primary health care in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Nigeria,” the statement reads.

“With the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative and U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the partnership announced today harnesses our global health footprint in these countries, supported by an average of over $415 million annually, and enhances coordination to harmonize investment approaches and demonstrate measurable improvements in primary healthcare outcomes.

“Resilient primary health care-oriented health systems, anchored by a robust and well-supported health workforce, can improve life expectancy, increase health equity, and respond intuitively to disease outbreaks and emerging health threats.

“A majority of services supported across USAID are delivered as components of primary health care. Advancing integration of essential health services at the primary care level will enable delivery of “whole person” care across individuals’ life stages and optimize resources for cross-cutting systems investments that address systems bottlenecks, including a strengthened health workforce.

“This announcement follows USAID’s recent launch of the Accelerating Primary Health Care Collaborative, which brings together subject matter experts from across USAID to define a cohesive primary healthcare approach for the Agency and facilitate information exchange, technical integration, and coordination to accelerate impacts.”