Africa Health Budget Network

This month, I’m proud to spotlight the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), a member of the PMNCH NGO constituency that promotes greater financial accountability, transparency and health allocations in Africa, by enabling non-governmental and civil society organizations to influence country investments meaningfully. 

Based in Nigeria, AHBN was founded to build budget advocacy mechanisms to improve health indices towards achieving the SDGs. With a membership base now throughout Africa, they conduct trainings in budget analysis, translate complex documents into user-friendly messages, offer opportunities for peer learning and information exchange, and provide much-needed funding through sub-grants. 

With support from the Ford Foundation, AHBN has been partnering with NGOs in eight African countries to promote accountability for financing received by countries from donors for COVID-19 response and equitable vaccine access plans. AHBN engages governments to improve access to information and spending and uses the media to demand accountability, including facilitating investigative reporting.  

In Nigeria, AHBN has supported the convening of strategic advocacy dialogues with the Federal Ministry of Health and key development partners, including young people and civil society organizations under the National Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent and Elderly Health Plus Nutrition (RMNCAEH+N) Platform. AHBN successfully amplified the Government of Nigeria’s commitment aligned with the PMNCH Call to Action on COVID-19 and built capacity for oversight and accountability to deliver the commitments, by sensitizing and training parliamentarians, young people, community members and journalists to become champions for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health. 

AHBN has been an active member of PMNCH since its launch at the Partners Forum in 2014.  Special thanks to its leader and founder, Aminu Magashi Garba, who has served on several PMNCH committees and working groups.  He is currently an NGO Board Member and a Partner Engagement in Countries Committee member.  

As we move towards the Global Forum for Adolescents in October 2023, Aminu's expertise along with the networks ABHN has cultivated in the region will be invaluable in helping to mobilize financial commitments for the 1.8 billion adolescents and youth in the world today whose needs are not being met.