Ifakara health Institute alongside ten other African institutes which form the Strategic Purchasing Africa Resource Centre (SPARC) participated in a meeting to discuss the SPARC partnership framework and principles to develop the learning agenda and research questions for SPARC Phase II.

The convening lasted three days from July 25 to 27, 2022 in Arusha – the first in-person meeting in three years since the COVID-19 pandemic. SPARC is a resource hub hosted by Amref Health Africa with technical support from Results for Development (R4D).

The Ifakara team was led by Chief Executive Director, Dr. Honorati Masanja, and Ifakara’s SPARC project lead, Dr. Fatuma Manzi.

With the tagline “Redefining the Partnership Framework for Scale,” the meeting was a step for SPARC to begin its second phase of implementation and develop a learning agenda for SPARC Phase II.  SPARC is reconvening the technical partners as part of SPARC’s broader implementation network, in addition to coaches and mentors who have participated in SPARC country engagements.

Also on the agenda, was for the SPARC members to hold discussions on how to create awareness among policymakers on “Making progress in Strategic Health Purchasing through the Government Budget”, discuss the SPARC partnership framework and principles, and develop the learning agenda and research questions for SPARC Phase II.

The meeting brought together representatives from Ministries of Health and National Health Insurance Agencies from 11 African countries – Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda – which are part of the SPARC consortium.

About SPARC
SPARC – a resource hub hosted by Amref Health Africa with technical support from Results for Development (R4D) – is aimed at strengthening strategic purchasing capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa by connecting existing regional expertise and matching it with country demand to make better use of resources for health. Its vision is to empower countries with knowledge and practical tools to make access to affordable and quality health care a reality for all.