Budget Advocacy Framework Launches Wednesday

Next week, we’ll be launching a new advocacy framework to help local and national civil society organizations and policymakers build public and political support for domestic investments in health.

The event will outline our four-step budget advocacy framework, and share examples from successful advocacy campaigns around the world, with a focus on recent advocacy for domestic resourcing to prevent epidemics in Nigeria.

About the event

The virtual event, “Locally Led, Globally Aligned: A Framework for Budget Advocacy to Prevent Epidemics and Support Health Systems,” will be held September 22, 2021, 9:00-10:00 am EDT.

Registration is free: https://bit.ly/HealthBudgetAdvocacy

Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in Spanish and French.

Why budget advocacy is necessary

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of investing in public health—including systems to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. Unfortunately, as past crises have demonstrated—from SARS to Ebola—it can difficult to maintain the political will for prevention once an emergency ends. Sustained advocacy for epidemic preparedness is essential to ensure long-term prioritization and investments beyond immediate crises.

International funding remains critical, but domestic resources are necessary to ensure sustainability as well as to fill critical gaps in capacity-strengthening and long-term program implementation. For example, the G20 Independent Panel encourages countries at all income levels to increase domestic health spending even alongside international financing.

A framework to support civil society advocacy

Leadership by local civil society is critical to developing the effective coalitions and successful advocacy campaigns necessary for this national commitment. Civil society advocates can maximize impact when they are provided with strategic and technical support. The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) has developed a budget advocacy framework for increased and sustained epidemic preparedness investment to guide public health advocates in both civil society and government. The framework is informed by successful budget advocacy campaigns supported by GHAI across multiple issue areas, including maternal and reproductive health, drowning prevention and hypertension services.

Speakers

The virtual event will be moderated by Anuradha Khanal, Program Director, Global Health Advocacy Incubator. Speakers will include:

• Yolonda C. Richardson, Executive Vice President, Global Health Advocacy Incubator/Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
• Dr. Priscilla Ibekwe, Director of Special Duties, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control
• Dr. Gafar Alawode, Project Director – Prevent Epidemics, Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development
• Ann Danelski, Associate Director, Advocacy, Global Health Advocacy Incubator