The African Health Budget Network (AHBN) has introduced a Health Security Accountability Framework and Scorecard to enhance preparedness and transparency amid ongoing crises such as COVID-19, cholera, Mpox and Lassa fever.
In response to these health emergencies, the organisation emphasised the urgent need to strengthen transparency and readiness across Africa.
AHBN coordinator, Dr. Aminu Magashi made this announcement at the conclusion of a three-day technical peer review retreat on health security finance accountability in Nigeria, Cameroon and Senegal, held on Saturday in Abuja.
Magashi explained that the framework, designed to track progress on health security initiatives, would help governments, development partners, and civil society organisations (CSOs) better monitor both financial and non-financial commitments.
He added that by fostering accountability, the scorecard aims to ensure health security becomes a priority at national and regional levels.
“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed major weaknesses in Africa’s health security, with many countries heavily relying on international donors to respond to the crisis,” he said.
Magashi noted that a lack of preparedness and poor coordination among African nations led to significant delays in detecting and responding to the pandemic. The new accountability framework aims to address these issues, encouraging African countries to invest more in prevention, preparedness, response and recovery (PPRR).
“The framework emphasises the need for local vaccine production, improved infection prevention and control (IPC) measures and increased research on antimicrobial resistance (AMR),” he added.
Programme manager of the Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria, Dr. Opeyemi Adeosun highlighted that one of the framework’s key findings was inadequate budget allocation for health security.
“An analysis by the Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL) revealed that many countries, including Nigeria, allocate minimal or no funding to health security in their national budgets. The AHBN’s scorecard aims to reverse this trend by promoting increased budgetary commitments and responsible spending,” Adeosun said.
He also pointed out that the framework calls for greater CSO involvement in health security planning and execution.
“CSOs play a crucial role in advocacy and community outreach, yet they are often excluded from key decision-making processes, including the Joint External Evaluation (JEE), a WHO tool for assessing national health security capacities.
“Civil society organizations are close to the grassroots and can help ensure accountability, especially in underserved communities where government oversight is limited. Their involvement is vital to the success of this framework,” he stressed.
The health security scorecard will provide a transparent mechanism to measure progress on key indicators such as financing, governance, vaccine production and biosafety. It will also monitor the relationship between public health authorities and security forces, promoting a coordinated approach to handling health emergencies.
“The scorecard will be updated quarterly, with data presented to key stakeholders, including government agencies, legislative bodies and the media. This approach is expected to foster collaboration and ensure that commitments by governments and development partners are upheld,” Adeosun added.
Founder of the Lafiya Wealth Initiative, Hon. Mohammed Usman praised the Africa CDC for strengthening the capacity of African nations to respond to health crises.
“Through the creation of technical working groups (TWGs), the CDC has bolstered the ability of public health institutions to act quickly in the face of disease outbreaks. However, the AHBN framework calls for greater CSO participation in these groups to ensure that all stakeholders contribute to shaping health security policies,” he said.
As Africa continues to face threats from diseases like Ebola, cholera and Mpox, executive director of Actions for Development and Empowerment, Cameroon, Ms. Ndi Nancy Saiboh stressed the importance of a robust accountability system to prevent future pandemics.
“It’s not just about responding to crises when they occur; it’s about being prepared and having a transparent system in place to track progress,” Saiboh said.
She added that the introduction of the African Regional Accountability Framework and Scorecard marks a significant step toward building stronger and more resilient health systems across the continent.
Saiboh concluded that with increased collaboration between governments, CSOs, the media and international partners, African nations can improve preparedness for future health emergencies while ensuring health security remains a top priority.
