Institutionalizing Social and Behavior Change Financing in African Health Systems: A Multi-Country Capacity Building Workshop
1
UNICEF, London, United Kingdom
2
UNICEF, New York, United States
3
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1862
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Social and Behavior Change (SBC) interventions are critical for achieving Universal Health Coverage and health equity in Africa,1 yet face chronic underinvestment due to a lack of standardized costing frameworks and integration into national health budgets.2 Despite evidence of effectiveness, SBC remains marginalized in health financing structures, limiting sustainable implementation and scale-up of proven interventions across the continent.3
METHODS:
Africa CDC, in collaboration with UNICEF and country partners, developed comprehensive SBC costing and financing frameworks through multi-country workshops and in-country missions (2025-2026). The initiative engaged six countries (Malawi, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, and Tanzania) through participatory costing exercises, institutionalization scorecards, and budget integration mapping aligned with health system strengthening pillars: governance, workforce, information systems, service delivery, and finance.4
RESULTS:
Countries developed contextualized SBC costing tools incorporating unit cost libraries, budget coding frameworks, and monitoring indicators. The institutionalization scorecard revealed critical gaps in dedicated SBC budget lines, competency frameworks, and tracking systems. Country-specific roadmaps identified pathways for integrating SBC into Medium-Term Expenditure Frameworks and national health strategic plans.5 Pilot implementation in Malawi demonstrated feasibility of tracking SBC expenditures across primary health care functions.5
CONCLUSIONS:
This organized session will engage participants in hands-on exercises using validated SBC costing tools and frameworks. Through case studies, participants will learn to: (1) cost SBC interventions using standardized methodologies; (2) map SBC activities to national budget codes; (3) assess institutionalization readiness; and (4) develop advocacy strategies for SBC financing. The session advances equity by strengthening capacity for evidence-based resource allocation prioritizing marginalized populations.
Social and Behavior Change (SBC) interventions are critical for achieving Universal Health Coverage and health equity in Africa,1 yet face chronic underinvestment due to a lack of standardized costing frameworks and integration into national health budgets.2 Despite evidence of effectiveness, SBC remains marginalized in health financing structures, limiting sustainable implementation and scale-up of proven interventions across the continent.3
METHODS:
Africa CDC, in collaboration with UNICEF and country partners, developed comprehensive SBC costing and financing frameworks through multi-country workshops and in-country missions (2025-2026). The initiative engaged six countries (Malawi, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, and Tanzania) through participatory costing exercises, institutionalization scorecards, and budget integration mapping aligned with health system strengthening pillars: governance, workforce, information systems, service delivery, and finance.4
RESULTS:
Countries developed contextualized SBC costing tools incorporating unit cost libraries, budget coding frameworks, and monitoring indicators. The institutionalization scorecard revealed critical gaps in dedicated SBC budget lines, competency frameworks, and tracking systems. Country-specific roadmaps identified pathways for integrating SBC into Medium-Term Expenditure Frameworks and national health strategic plans.5 Pilot implementation in Malawi demonstrated feasibility of tracking SBC expenditures across primary health care functions.5
CONCLUSIONS:
This organized session will engage participants in hands-on exercises using validated SBC costing tools and frameworks. Through case studies, participants will learn to: (1) cost SBC interventions using standardized methodologies; (2) map SBC activities to national budget codes; (3) assess institutionalization readiness; and (4) develop advocacy strategies for SBC financing. The session advances equity by strengthening capacity for evidence-based resource allocation prioritizing marginalized populations.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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