Strategic Purchasing African Resource Centre (SPARC) has been selected as one of the Frontier Health Markets Global Technical Assistance (FHM Global TA) network partners to provide technical assistance to support local market actors in the newly launched USAID-funded Frontier Health Markets Global Technical Assistance program. Over the next five years, we will support African governments […]
Establishing Health Technology Assessment in Rwanda – Lessons for Other Countries
Stella Matutina UMUHOZA, Sabine F. MUSANGE, Alypio NYANDWI and Parfait UWALIRAYE Background Rwanda’s health sector has made tremendous strides in improving the population’s health status over the last two decades, including the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals. The maternal mortality rate decreased from 750 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2005 to 203 […]
NHIF Bill amendments: the devil is in the details
The government-backed National Hospital Insurance Fund (Amendment) Bill before the National Assembly proposes significant changes to the administration and implementation of the scheme. These changes are on the wings of reforms that started two years ago to reposition the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) into a strategic purchaser. Strategic purchasing is a concept rooted in […]
Changing the Conversation: Making progress on strategic health purchasing in sub-Saharan Africa
Agnes Munyua, Nkechi Olalere, Cheryl Cashin On May 19th, the Strategic Purchasing Africa Resource Center (SPARC) hosted a webinar in the series “Strategic Health Purchasing Progress: Changing the Conversation.” This title raises the question — changing the conversation from what to what? Conversations about strategic health purchasing often center around questions like “what works?”; “does […]
What is Strategic Health Purchasing?
To understand that, we need to ask ourselves “what is purchasing?” Purchasing is the third function of health financing and so perhaps to really understand purchasing and strategic purchasing, we need to go back to ask ourselves “what is health financing?” Health financing is that function of the health system concerned with the mobilization, accumulation […]
Advice from a Mentor: Legitimacy, Flexibility & Credibility
By Agnes Munyua In February 2019, SPARC was invited by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary to provide support to an Expert Panel, which was commissioned to undertake a review that will transform and reposition the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) as a strategic purchaser of health services. This request provided an opportunity for SPARC to apply the […]
SPARC Appoints New Executive Director – Nkechi Olalere, M.D.
Amref Health Africa and Results for Development are pleased to announce the appointment of Nkechi Olalere, M.D. as the Executive Director of the Strategic Purchasing Africa Resource Center (SPARC), effective 2nd September 2019. Dr. Nkechi Olalere takes over from Nathaniel Otoo who served as interim Executive Director. Dr. Nkechi Olalere joins SPARC from the Clinton […]
Amref Health Africa to Host the Strategic Purchasing Africa Resource Center
Following a highly competitive partner selection process, Amref Health Africa has been chosen to host the Strategic Purchasing Africa Resource Center (SPARC) — a new initiative aimed at strengthening strategic health purchasing in sub-Saharan Africa to get more value for money from health spending on health services and medicines on behalf of populations by actively making transparent and efficient […]