‘Harmonization for Health in Africa’ initiative

The ‘Harmonization for Health in Africa’ initiative (HHA), conceived in response to the recommendations of the Paris declaration, is a regional mechanism through which collaborating partners (African Development Bank, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, World Bank) provide technical support and capacity building assistance to African countries on a demand-driven basis.

The HHA intends to work with existing development and financing frameworks such as SWAps, budget support and poverty reduction strategy papers and other national development frameworks that draw on a country-led and participatory approach to health policies and programmes.

Key interventions include to:

• provide technical and capacity building to the development and improvement or implementation of aid instruments (SWAps, budget support etc)
• provide stakeholders with comprehensive communication on progress and country needs for achieving the health MDGs
• serve as a broker and where appropriate provide support in facilitating resource mobilisation and grant proposal preparation for countries
• provide regular opportunities to learn from experience across countries and regional institutions and build this into development of regional centres of excellence.