The Africa Health Business Ltd in partnership with the Ministry of health of Senegal and the Africa Health Federation hold a conference on “Transforming PPPs for Health in Africa”. The event started on the 5 November and ended on the 7 November and took place in Dakar. There were participants from 51 countries.

PPPs can be defined as "a long-term contract between a private party and a government entity, for providing a public asset or service, in which the private party bears significant risk and management responsibility, and remuneration is linked to performance."

During the conference, panelists tackled the following important topics:

• optimizing the role of the African Private Health Sector in achieving SDG3;
• private sector driven PPPs;
• innovation and partnerships for maternal and child health;
• improving quality through investments; human resources for health;
• supply chain management;
• digital technologies and disruptive innovations;
• upholding public interest in the context of PPPs in Africa; and
• policies and regulations.

Throughout the conference, representatives from African governments and representatives from the private sector focused on the presentation of existing partnerships, the need for more PPPs and the difficulties and opportunities in establishing and implementing PPPs.

Main outcomes of the conference (AHBS)

• Establishment of an honest and true dialogue model process between Ministries of Health that were present and the private sector stakeholders
• Setting a common ground: all parties agreed that Public Private Partnerships are non-negotiable in achieving healthcare goals in the continent
• Leadership: all stakeholders agreed to take responsibility in driving towards effective partnerships for tangible positive impact in healthcare outcomes
• Accountability: we will be tracking the progress on impact and improved health outcomes.

On Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, several entities such as Every Women Every Child and IntraHealth have achieved significant results working with the private sector (technical assistance and innovative partnerships, contraceptives stock management)

The Representative of UNFPA country office in Kenya, Dr. Ademola Olajide, led a successful panel on ‘Optimising the role of the African Private Health Sector in achieving SDG3’. UNFPA is increasingly working with private sector stakeholders and can support raising awareness on how the private sector can bring additional funding, innovative solutions and improve sexual and reproductive health and rights services.

The next Africa Health Business Symposium will take place next year in Johannesburg in October 2018 and it will focus achieving universal health coverage in Africa.