African Health Economics and Policy Association (AfHEA)

The African Health Economics and Policy Association (AfHEA) is a bilingual (English and French) non-political and non profit-making association inaugurated in March 2009  with  headquarters  in  Accra,  Ghana.  The  overall  mission  of  AfHEA  is  to contribute to the promotion and strenghening of the use of health economics and health policy analysis in achieving equitable and efficient health systems and improved health outcomes in Africa, especially for the most vulnerable populations. Its membership includes over 200 health economics, financing and policy experts from African countries residing within and outside the continent. The objectives of AfHEA are to: Provide a forum for information sharing and exchange as well as healthy debate, among those working in health economics and related fields in Africa ; Promote the development of health economics and policy capacity within the African region, with particular emphasis on supporting, wherever possible, the needs of lower income countries to train and retain such experts ; Promote the production and dissemination of high quality research findings by African health economists and health policy analysts ; Promote the appropriate use of health economics and policy analysis tools within evidence-informed health sector decision-making in Africa ; Support health policy development and advice to policy makers and health partners in African countries on viable options for equitable health care financing ; Represent  the  interests  of  African  health  economists  and  health  policy analysts in relevant international forums. AfHEA aims at strengthening the capacities of African health economists, policy analysts and other experts working in the health sector and promoting the use of economic and policy tools in the areas of health, as well as evidence in the decision- making process in health sectors in Africa. In that regard, AfHEA is currently implementing a 3-year strategic plan (attached). The main strategic objective of this plan is to strengthen the quality of decision-making and reinforce the capacities of African policy makers, practitioners and researchers from the health sector for the development and implementation of health policies and programs guided towards Universal  Health  Coverage  (UHC).  Furthermore,  AfHEA  is  seeking  to  create platforms to stimulate dialogue between and with all partners, including researchers, policy  makers,  practitioners  and  civil  society  at  the  national,  sub-regional  and regional levels. In 2011, AfHEA promoted debates and discussions among African and international researchers, experts and policy makers on various ways of attaining a UHC in Sub- Saharan Africa. It is important to recall that AfHEA was set up with the objective of bringing together economists, policy makers and analysts living or working in the health sector in Africa. Four years after its creation, AfHEA has been able to mobilize membership of a panel of experts, practitioners, policy makers and students in the majority of African countries, even beyond the frontiers of Africa.