Report: Cross Country Learning on Community Health System Integration and Financing

Context
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the inequalities in health systems within and between nations. With nearly 200 million cases detected to date and over 4 million deaths globally, the pandemic has added additional pressure to underfunded health facilities and disrupted the provision of essential health services that could result in backtracking years of progress made.
Cognizant of the critical role community health systems play in the response to the pandemic, the African Union Commission – Africa CDC and the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development coordinated a Webinar series co-hosted by H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Dr. John Nkengasong. The goal of the two-day event was to discuss the immediate role community health workers have in the health, economic and social recovery of Africa including the need for coordinated and integrated investments for robust community health systems that blend pandemic preparedness and response activities, and the continuation of essential health services beyond it. The webinar series also served to share experiences, triumphs and challenges with implementing and scaling Africa-CDC Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing (PACT) initiative.