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:
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.