Integrate Health is thrilled to announce the commencement of Phase 2 of the Building Integrated Resilience for Community Health (BIRCH) Project in Guinea. This initiative, funded by the Global Fund and implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and with Last Mile Health and Africa Frontline First, aims to address critical gaps in community health systems and ensure the effective utilization of resources.
Looking back at BIRCH1 achievements
Project BIRCH is a $7 million USD initiative by the Global Fund, reinvesting COVID-19 funds to support eleven Sub-Saharan African countries, including Guinea, in strengthening their community health systems. Integrate Health was selected as an in-country implementing partner, collaborating with the Guinean Ministry of Health. Project BIRCH1 ran from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, with Integrate Health assisting the Ministry with the development of their Global Fund country grant (GC7) request to incorporate community health investments.
The Global Fund country grants historically invest in vertical programming focusing on HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. The Global Fund recognizes the importance of strong community health systems in meeting these disease area goals, and therefore in recent years has allowed grant funds to be spent on community health programming. Integrate Health supported the Guinean government in identifying community health financing needs, modeling costs, and drafting budget and application materials. As a result, the Global Fund GC7 grant was awarded, with $18 million USD allocated to fund community health.
Dr. Mamady Kourouma, Director of the National Directorate of Community Health and Traditional Medicine at the Guinean Ministry of Health, expressed his appreciation, saying, “The collaboration with Integrate Health has significantly facilitated our work. The guidance we received was extremely beneficial. Their integrated approach is very operational and efficient. This proactive approach sets Integrate Health apart from other NGOs we usually work with.”
The launch of BIRCH2 in Guinea
Now that the funds are secured, Project BIRCH2 will focus on ensuring that these resources are effectively utilized to reach the most remote communities. Project BIRCH2 officially launched in April with an Integrate Health co-hosted national forum on community health financing. The forum brought together 250 participants, including representatives from the Ministries of Health, Administration, and Finance, as well as technical partners and health workers. The forum’s mandate was to map financing flows to community health in an effort to coordinate sufficient and sustained funding. Representatives from Burkina Faso and Rwanda presented case studies on their experience funding robust community health systems, including providing salaries for community health workers. After advocacy from forum participants, the Guinean Ministry of Administration and the Ministry of Finance agreed to include Community Relay (equivalent of CHWs in Guinea) salaries in local investment plans. This is a huge step forward in securing fair pay for health workers by systematically ensuring a budget line for this essential investment.
As a next step, Integrate Health will partner with the Ministry of Administration to pilot how to create the local administrative budget line and fund it. This pilot will improve the visibility and tracking of community health financing within district budgets, enhancing accountability and ensuring that resources are directed where they are most needed.
Additionally, Project BIRCH2 priorities include integrating data-driven decision-making into health operating plans, targeted investments in Community Relays including supplies and training, and strengthening local institutions’ capacity to sustain community health services.
Ultimately, the project aims to create long-term, sustainable health financing plans, securing the future of community health initiatives and promoting long-term resilience.
Looking forward
Integrate Health is dedicated to ensuring that Project BIRCH2 not only addresses immediate gaps but also creates a lasting impact on Guinea’s community health landscape. Our experience delivering primary healthcare in Guinea allows us to demonstrate tangible impact, positioning us as a trusted partner to the Ministry of Health in implementing their Global Fund resources effectively. As Global Fund priorities and policies evolve, we stand ready to support governments in leveraging available health resources to their fullest potential.
Stay tuned for more updates as Project BIRCH2 brings transformative changes to community health in Guinea.