The Challenge
As a result of civil strife, the Central African Republic (CAR) was facing a fragmented health system, with many development and humanitarian partners devoting efforts and resources. The Government sees better health as an entry point to building peace and aligning development and humanitarian partners to support a Government-led single plan (investment case).
The GFF Partnership Response
The GFF partnership supports the development of a single government-led implementation plan, based on the investment case as a strategy to streamline partner efforts in reproductive maternal newborn and adolescent health and nutrition. The GFF focuses on increasing access and improving the quality of a high-impact package of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAH-N) services through performance-based financing and free services for pregnant and breastfeeding women, children under five, and victims of gender-based violence; reduce fragmentation by integrating humanitarian and development financing and strengthen health information systems by aligning the investment case results framework with ongoing health information system reforms. The GFF is also co-financing the World Bank Health System Support and Strengthening Project (SENI-Plus) in CAR.
Progress
The government has developed an investment case for the reduction of maternal, neonatal and child mortality and for the improvement of the health of adolescents. The investment case includes a package of high impact RMNCAH-N interventions, key health system reforms (on human resources, essential supplies and equipment, health management information system), a theory of change and a results framework. The investment case has been presented to the Conseil des Ministre and dialogue is in progress on approaches to close the investment gap of more than US$50 million.