SPARC (strategic purchasing african resources center) is a resource center hosted by Amref Health Africa with technical support from Results for Development (R4D). SPARC aims to strengthen strategic purchasing capacity in sub-Saharan Africa by connecting existing regional expertise and matching it with country demand to make better use of resources for health. Its vision is to equip countries with practical knowledge and tools to make access to affordable, quality health care a reality for all.

From July 25 to 28, 2022, SPARC and its 11 technical partners from 10 countries, including RESADE (Recherche pour la Santé et le Développement) from Burkina Faso represented by Dr. Joël Arthur Kiendrébéogo and Dr. Charlemagne Tapsoba, met in a workshop in Arusha, Tanzania. Two technicians from Burkina Faso were also invited to this workshop, namely Dr. S. Pierre Yaméogo, ST/CSU, and Dr. Alfred Ouédraogo, former Director General of CNAMU.

The objectives of this meeting were to take stock of the activities carried out between 2020 and 2022 as well as to discuss ways to improve collaboration with countries and further develop the partnership to scale up.

Discussions at the workshop focused on three key points:

– How to improve knowledge on how countries are progressing in strategic health purchasing;

– Raising awareness among policymakers and technicians on how to advance strategic health purchasing through the government budget;

– Identifying the best engagement modalities to support strategic purchasing reforms in countries.