By Shem Oluchiri.

On 16th – 17th June 2025, Faith to Action Network joined key stakeholders at the National Dialogues on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH), and the Assessment of SRH Financing Models across East African Community (EAC) Partner States.

Held in Nairobi, Kenya, the high-level forum brought together representatives from the EAC Secretariat, Ministries of Health from partner states, civil society organizations, AUDA-NEPAD, and leading technical experts to advance conversations on regional health priorities.

Strengthening Regional Commitments to Health and Rights

The dialogue focused on:

🔹 Reviewing progress in implementing the EAC RMNCAH Policy Guidelines (2016–2030) and the RMNCAH Scorecard.
🔹 Assessing SRH financing models and exploring strategies for sustainable domestic resource mobilization.
🔹 Enhancing regional collaboration and accountability for delivering SRHR and RMNCAH commitments.

Faith to Action Network actively contributed to conversations exploring innovative financing mechanisms, regional best practices, and the persistent barriers limiting SRHR investments at national and sub-national levels.

Key Takeaways and Calls to Action

• The need for multi-sectoral partnerships and stronger inter-ministerial coordination in financing SRHR/RMNCAH.
• Emphasizing data-driven budgeting and planning, using EAC regional scorecards and monitoring tools.
• Urging national governments to prioritize budget allocations for adolescent health, family planning, maternal and newborn care anchoring them in national Universal Health Coverage (UHC) strategies.
• The importance of scaling innovative financing models, such as earmarked taxes and performance-based funding.
• Recognizing the vital role of faith-based actors in translating policy into practice and ensuring no community is left behind.

A Collective Commitment to Health Equality

As the region grapples with underfunded health systems, increasing demand, and widening inequalities, the message is clear:
No woman, adolescent, or child should be left behind in accessing quality, affordable, and rights-based healthcare.

This forum was a timely and strategic platform to shape the future of SRHR and health financing in East Africa. It reaffirmed our shared responsibility to build inclusive, resilient, and well-funded health systems that respond to the real needs of communities especially the most vulnerable.

At Faith to Action Network, we remain committed to bridging policy and practice through dialogue, collaboration, and advocacy. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important regional process and look forward to the next steps in ensuring that commitments translate into meaningful, measurable change