State Partnerships with Faith-Based Organisations to Offer Healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa
Download DocumentDeep Dive Overview
Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) are foundational pillars of healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa, serving as de facto public health providers that deliver between 30% and 70% of all health services in some regions. To leverage this extensive reach, many African governments have moved toward formal State-FBO Partnerships involving contracts that allow governments to share infrastructure and subsidise care at FBO facilities.
These partnerships aim to align FBO service delivery with national Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals, ensuring that even marginalised populations have access to essential interventions. However, challenges persist, including insufficient public subsidies, inconsistent adherence to national healthcare standards, and a lack of FBO representation in policy dialogues. Countries like Uganda, Cameroon, Tanzania, and Ghana have implemented solutions ranging from financial management training to revised curricula and structured dialogue platforms.
Policy Recommendations
Governments should move beyond ad-hoc collaborations and establish structured partnership frameworks with faith-based health service providers. These frameworks should use formal contracting models that explicitly bundle sustainable financing with obligations for quality assurance, reporting, and professional development
To address the funding instability that plagues FBOs, governments must integrate FBOs into national health financing systems to ensure more predictable revenue streams
Governments should address the gap between policy ambition and practical implementation by mandating FBO representation in high-level policy meetings and strategic planning sessions
Governments should support the internal capacity of FBOs by funding capacity-building initiatives that train FBO staff not only in clinical skills but also in financial management and compliance
Policymakers should formally utilise the trust FBOs hold within their communities to reach marginalised populations who may be excluded from mainstream government services
Effective policy must construct mechanisms that respect the religious identity of faith-based partners while simultaneously mandating that all publicly funded interventions guarantee equitable access and inclusivity. This ensures that religious values do not become a barrier to the core UHC principle of leaving no one behind
Key Numbers
of health services delivered by FBOs in some regions
increase in rural maternal health facility attendance in Ghana
rise in clinic visits among high-risk populations in Tanzania
studies analysed in the scoping review
Deep Dive Summary
Exploring how formal agreements and resource-sharing between governments and Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) bridge critical gaps in access, affordability, and clinical outcomes for universal health coverage in sub-Saharan Africa.
Content Type
Case Study
Region
Pan-African
Author
Research Team
Read Time
10 min
Key Findings
FBOs deliver 30% to 70% of health services in remote or marginalised regions of sub-Saharan Africa, acting as vital public health providers.
Faith-based initiatives in Malawi and Nigeria increased antenatal care coverage by 20–30%, directly contributing to lower maternal mortality rates.
In Ghana, FBO community health education programs led to a 35% increase in attendance at rural maternal health facilities.
In Tanzania, FBO clinics achieved a 40% rise in clinic visits among high-risk populations through voluntary counselling and testing.