Annual Report: Benin Private Sector Health Partnership Activity

The project was awarded to Abt Associates and partners in June 2018 and is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with a budget of $9.8 million. The project's strategic objective is to increase access to and use of priority, high-impact RMNCH products and services through catalyzing improvements with the Government of Benin (GoB) and the private sector health platform, Plateforme du Secteur Privé de la Santé (PSSP, Private Sector Health Platform). PSHPA aims to empower the GoB to be a market-driven steward of the health system, streamline regulations and standards, and scale up promising private sector approaches. The project has four activity Intermediate Results (IRs), which include: IR 1, Expanded volume of quality, high-impact RMNCH services delivered by private sector providers; IR 2, Increased availability of affordable and quality health products through private sector channels; IR 3, Strengthened public-private engagement to promote universal RMNCH outcomes; and IR 4, Innovative, successful, private sector models identified, piloted and applied. To achieve these IRs, PSHPA will work closely with the GoB, the PSSP, and local resource partners, including the Association Nationale des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises (ANPME, Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises). The project will also engage with other stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Health, the National Malaria Coordination Program, and the West Africa Health Organization. During the first year of the project, PSHPA focused on building partnerships and establishing a strong foundation for the project's activities. The project team conducted a series of meetings and workshops with stakeholders to discuss the project's objectives, strategies, and expected outcomes. The team also developed a detailed work plan and budget, which outlined the project's activities and resources for the first year. The project's progress was monitored and evaluated through a series of indicators, which were tracked and reported on a regular basis. The indicators included measures of the project's outputs, such as the number of private sector providers trained and the number of health products made available through private sector channels. The indicators also included measures of the project's outcomes, such as the increase in the use of high-impact RMNCH services and products. Overall, the Private Sector Health Partnership Activity is a critical project that aims to increase access to and use of high-impact RMNCH services and products in Benin. The project's focus on building partnerships and strengthening the capacity of the private sector health platform is expected to have a significant impact on the country's health outcomes.