The Central African Republic is one of 26 countries that are transforming lives, countries and economies with the support of the Global Financing Facility

BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC – Central African Republic Prime Minister Simplice Mathieu Sarandji convened government officials and partners today in Bangui to determine how the government, with the support of the Global Financing Facility partnership, will increase the use and quality of essential health services in areas of the country that need them the most.

Prime Minister Simplice Mathieu Sarandji outlined the country’s challenges and asked the government, including the Ministry of Health and partners, to align behind one plan that will help strengthen the country’s capacity to make much greater progress toward universal health coverage; recruit doctors, nurses and professionally trained health workers; and improve access to and the quality of essential medicines.

“The advent of the Global Financing Facility in the Central African Republic is of crucial importance, because it will accelerate coordination, harmonization of interventions, and strengthening of human capital development for both the mother and the child,” said Simplice Mathieu Sarandji, Prime Minister of the Central African Republic. “The GFF provides an appropriate framework for resource mobilization. As a result, it will help achieve Sustainable Development Goals for health by 2030.”

The Central African Republic has suffered from decades of conflict and instability that has led to a substantial deterioration of the health system, resulting in low immunization coverage, and the second highest maternal mortality ratio and the third highest under-five mortality rate in the world. Since 2016, the country has returned to a development trajectory under the leadership of the government, and with the support of the international community. The revitalization of the health system during this period was initiated with specific focus on maternal and child health.

“This new commitment to improving the health and nutrition of the poorest and most vulnerable will help ease the poverty that stymies the Central African Republic’s growth and unlock its economic potential,” said Mariam Claeson, Director of the Global Financing Facility. “The government’s leadership in investing in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition will pay dividends, particularly in lives saved and improved, for years to come.”

The Global Financing Facility, a multi-stakeholder partnership that brings together all partners behind one country-led plan for health and nutrition, is empowering the Ministry of Health to develop, implement and monitor one plan that will guide the work of the government and all partners, including the World Bank, United Nations agencies, civil society organizations and others. Today’s convening in Bangui launches that plan, called an investment case, and roadmap for improving the health and nutrition of women, children and adolescents.

The Gobal Financing Facility announced in November 2017 that it had expanded to a total of 26 countries, with the support of the governments of Canada, Norway and the United Kingdom; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and MSD for Mothers. The 50 countries the Global Financing Facility could expand to in the next five years account for 96 percent of the US$33 billion annual financing gap and 5.2 million maternal and child deaths each year.