Wemos and Akina Mama wa Afrika discuss the Africa Medical Equipment Facility (AMEF) joint report

The AMEF is a blended finance facility set up to support private healthcare providers in seven African countries in buying medical equipment from manufacturers by de-risking loans provided by local banks. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is responsible for implementing the program, with financial support from the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents (GFF) and the International Development Association (IDA). 

The report, developed under the scope of the Make Way programme, aimed to answer a guiding question: does this new blended finance facility contribute to equitable access to healthcare services? The study concluded that, when implemented in Kenya, the AMEF failed to promote equitable and universal access to healthcare services. 

The webinar provided an overview of the study, discussed the underlying causes of AMEF’s failure, and presented recommendations to the funding organisations to improve access to healthcare services for all. It was hosted by the co-authors Wemos and AMwA and had the important participation of independent consultants and a representative of the GFF. 

Hosts

• Myria Koutsoumpa, Global Health Advocate at Wemos 
• Esther Wambui, Programs Officer SRHR at Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA) 

Panelists

• Dr Sneha Kanneganti, Health Specialist at the Global Finance Facility (GFF) 
• Dr Stellah Wairimu Bosire, Consultant and Executive Director at Africa Center for Health Systems and Gender Justice (AcHG) 
• Wangari Kinoti, Consultant and Associate at Nawi Afrifem Microeconomics Collective. 

Did you miss the webinar? You can watch it back below (English subtitles are available). 

More about this topic: 

• Full report: The Africa Medical Equipment Facility (AMEF) in Kenya: Does this new blended finance facility contribute to equitable access to healthcare services? 
• Blog post: The Africa Medical Equipment Facility in Kenya fails to promote equitable access to healthcare 
• IFC Health Projects Tracker 
• Report by Wangari Kinoti and Crysta for DAWN: Medical Equipment Leasing in Kenya: Neocolonial Global Finance and Misplaced Health Priorities