Overview

Despite recent progress, Benin’s health system continues to face significant challenges that have strained resources and impacted marginalized groups. This includes high out-of-pocket payments, disparities in care due to unevenly skilled health workers across rural and urban communities, and lack of women’s autonomy to seek care and inform the design of gender‐responsive services. These ongoing issues, coupled with insufficient government spending on health care, further underscores the need to break down information silos and engage the whole of society to improve Benin’s health services.

MSH will work closely with a group of primarily local partners and a women-led, all Beninese team to implement the USAID Benin Health Systems Strengthening Activity (HSSA). The five-year project builds on MSH’s longstanding partnership with the Government of Benin, following the success of the USAID Integrated Health Services Activity from 2018 to 2023. By fostering collaborative governance, innovative financial solutions, and digital advancements such as eLearning, the activity will promote locally driven, systemic changes mainly in health care financing and human resources for health.

The project aims to:

• Bolster human resources for health
• Increase data-driven decision-making
• Advocate for private sector investments
• Strengthen leadership, management, accountability, and governance
• Expand universal health coverage