Strengthening Public Financial Management in the Health Sector: IFAC, Gavi, and The Global Fund

IFAC, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Fund are working together to strengthen public financial management in the health sector by investing in the accountancy profession.

The initiative supports professional accountancy organizations as they build the skills, systems, and training pathways needed by accountants and finance personnel working in public health. Stronger financial management helps improve transparency, accountability, and the effective use of health funding.

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Why this matters

Health systems depend on reliable financial information, strong internal controls, and skilled finance professionals. In many countries, public sector finance teams manage complex grant funding while also supporting national health priorities.

This initiative helps close capacity gaps by supporting locally led, sustainable training and professional development through national accountancy bodies.

What the initiative supports

The pilot officially launched in 2022 and helped strengthen national accountancy organizations and created resources that can benefit other countries in the region. Key achievements include updated qualifications, new learning materials, digital tools, French-language professional resources, and expanded training opportunities for public sector finance professionals.

With the pilot phase now completed in Ghana and Burkina Faso, the initiative has established a strong foundation for sustainable capacity building in public financial management. Lessons learned from the pilot are informing the next phase of implementation, while the resources, curricula, and tools developed through the project continue to support local institutions and finance professionals. Building on these achievements, the initiative has expanded its reach to Tanzania and Togo while deepening support in the original pilot countries to strengthen long-term, locally led financial management systems that contribute to improved health outcomes.

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Country-by-Country Progress

Activities, anticipated impacts, and progress updates from the country plans

Country PAO Activities Anticipated Impacts Progress Update
Burkina Faso ONECCA BF
  • ✓ Implemented the African Professionalisation Initiative (API) Accelerated Learning Programme, including exit assessment and administration.
  • ✓ Translated and contextualized key training resources into French.
  • ✓ Updated ethics, investigation and discipline, and continuing professional development resources.
  • Training finance personnel.
  • Developing and executing a communications strategy.
  • Strengthening institutional systems, including updates to ONECCA BF’s IT infrastructure to improve communications and services.
  • Stronger ONECCA BF and more competent accountants
  • Stronger institution
  • More students enrolled
  • More finance personnel trained and certified
  • Higher quality and ethics
  • Increased membership satisfaction
  • Stronger financial sustainability
  • Recruited 600 public-sector finance professionals, with 124 learners successfully enrolled on the API platform by July 2026.
Ghana ICA Ghana
  • ✓ Updated the ICA Ghana professional qualification, including public sector and health sector content.
  • ✓ Digitalized Level 1 examinations.
  • ✓ Strengthened quality assurance monitoring for audit oversight.
  • Supporting the digitalization of Levels 2 and 3 of the professional qualification.
  • Developing a specialized diploma for chartered accountants working in the health sector.
  • Organizing masterclasses for health sector finance personnel in Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.
  • Developing an online IPSAS learning platform.
  • Stronger ICA Ghana and better public financial management
  • Stronger professional qualification
  • Digital access nationwide
  • Improved tuition quality
  • Specialized public and health sector skills
  • Stronger audit quality
  • Stronger financial sustainability
  • Developed the professional diploma for Chartered Accountants working in Ghana’s health sector, as planned.
  • Advanced the health-sector diploma and masterclasses in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia, with participant and certification figures still to be reported.
  • Contracted Ghana-based ThinkData in June 2026 to develop an internally managed digital solution for Levels 2 and 3 of ICAG’s professional examinations.
Tanzania NBAA
  • Supporting the update of the NBAA professional qualification, including a syllabus gap analysis.
  • Developing new public sector syllabi that incorporate health sector content.
  • Developing a short course in public financial management.
  • Creating new public sector learning materials and examinations.
  • Training trainers and examiners to deliver and assess the updated curriculum.
  • Stronger NBAA and public sector capability
  • Stronger professional qualification
  • Syllabus aligned with standards
  • Trainers and examiners well trained
  • Better learning materials
  • More students and higher pass rates
  • Higher relevance and sustainability
  • Contracted CIPFA to update NBAA’s professional qualification with public-sector content, with delivery underway and completion expected by September 2026.
  • Advanced the development of a public financial management short course, expected to be completed in August 2026.
  • Planned delivery of the course to public-sector accountants by December 2026.
Togo ONECCA Togo
  • Developing a roadmap for implementation of the API Accelerated Learning Programme.
  • Implementing the roadmap, including the operating framework, accreditation, training, communications, and branding.
  • Providing training for the Cour des Comptes and the Direction du Trésor et de la Comptabilité Publique.
  • Delivering training for professional accountants and non-accountants working in the health sector.
  • Building a sustainable API ecosystem in Togo
  • Institutional capability strengthened
  • API roadmap implemented
  • Trained trainers and stronger institutions
  • More professionals trained
  • Improved IPSAS knowledge
  • Stronger partnerships
  • Delivered IPSAS and PFM training, certifying 233 participants—86% of the target of 270.
  • Developed IPSAS and PFM training resources for the health sector.
  • Developed the roadmap for implementing the API Accelerated Learning Program in Togo, with certification expected to begin in the second half of 2026.
Across All Countries      
  • Established a more sustainable approach to examination digitalization, with completion expected by June 2027.

Check marks indicate completed activities. Other items reflect ongoing or planned work. Anticipated impacts reflect intended outcomes and should not be read as completed results.

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