Integrating faith-based organizations into national health systems and the global human resources for health community

Health workers in GhanaActive engagement with FBOs has strengthened their integration and participation in global, national, and sector-wide HRH activities. For example, after CHAs in Malawi and Zambia negotiated memoranda of understanding with government, this became a model for other CHAs to follow or adapt to their country situations. Through ACHAP’s urging and facilitation, a number of CHAs developed and refined their own memoranda of understanding, leading to improved integration with the national health system and greater participation in national HRH planning processes.

Integration has also taken place via FBOs’ adoption of the open source iHRIS health workforce information systems software supported by CapacityPlus (www.ihris.org) to provide a more comprehensive national picture of HRH. In addition, FBOs have participated in key meetings such as those of the Global Health Workforce Alliance and the African Platform on Human Resources for Health, and shared HRH information, tools, and publications at ACHAP conferences and other regional forums.

During a 2012 meeting in Kenya, members of ACHAP’s HRH technical working group discussed the need for advocacy to increase support for the health workforce in Africa. Members developed advocacy messages to guide FBO leaders, proprietors, partners, and stakeholders in their advocacy efforts. Through support from Novo Nordisk and CapacityPlus, ACHAP (2012) published Because Health Workers Matter: They Need Our Support and disseminated it at the sixth biennial ACHAP conference in Zambia in 2013.

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