As the challenges facing global health—from pandemics and the impacts of climate change to conflict and economic crises—have grown in recent years, persistent advocacy is more essential than ever to help ensure lifesaving health solutions and services reach the communities who need them most. Since 2018, PATH’s advocacy has contributed to over 158 policies adopted and 150 funding lines mobilized, demonstrating that progress is possible when persistence meets purpose.
At the end of 2024, PATH’s global team of advocates gathered in Nairobi, Kenya to learn and share how we successfully drove change for maternal and child health, primary care, and global health innovation through policy and advocacy during the year. Here are a few of their stories.
Increasing political will for people-centered primary health care in Kenya
In Kenya, PATH has been a trusted government partner for decades, playing a technical advisory role and advocating to improve health care systems across the country. Recently, we’ve worked to keep primary health care (PHC) at the center of national conversations about health reform, even as political priorities shifted the landscape.
Leveraging our strong relationships with government officials and civil society advocates across national and county levels, PATH helped to align priorities and worked with partners to organize a coalition to prioritize PHC as the foundation for achieving universal health care (UHC). Using this unified voice to consistently advocate for the value of investing in PHC, we have significantly increased political will for reforms that improve health equity in Kenya—such as maintaining or increasing PHC funding in national and county-level government budgets even amidst broader budget cuts, establishment of a national PHC Fund, and revitalization of a central government working group focused on expanding access to PHC.
Developing a joint global advocacy strategy for lasting change in maternal and newborn health
PATH supported efforts led by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the United Nations Population Fund to bring the global maternal and newborn health advocacy community together to develop a global MNH advocacy strategy. Officially backed by the recently established Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere (EWENE) management team, the new advocacy strategy creates a shared vision across the community for unified impact—helping advocates deliver clearer messages and preventing duplicative efforts. As the co-lead of the EWENE advocacy and accountability working group, PATH helped shape the development of the global MNH strategy from the ground up, pushing for a multisectoral, country-led, and regionally-grounded approach.
But the work didn’t stop there. Through an ongoing quarterly webinar series and in-person workshops, our advocacy team continues to focus on connecting advocates with the tools and skills they need to drive change locally, nationally, and beyond. In 2025, we’re working to adapt the global strategy into practical tools for advocates across Africa.
Mapping the road toward transforming South Africa's medical technology sector
PATH played a key role in supporting the South African Department of Trade Industry and Competition (DTIC) to develop and launch South Africa’s Medical Technology (MEDTECH) Master Plan—a roadmap toward building a stronger, more coordinated medical technology sector in the country that fosters local innovation. PATH provided technical advice to the DTIC, and through our seats on two government working groups, we also helped bring together government officials, manufacturers, and academics to identify shared challenges and opportunities in the industry. This wasn’t just a policy win on paper; it was a win for collaboration.
We also contributed to regional progress by supporting the African Union Development Agency to develop a list of 24 Priority Medical Products and Roadmap for Regional Manufacturing in Africa (2025–2030)—which aims to reduce Africa’s reliance on imported medicines and improve access to care by identifying a list of 24 top-priority essential medical products to build manufacturing capacity for in Africa. PATH led the working group that developed the list, along with an accompanying plan for building regional manufacturing skills on the continent—focusing on building broad buy-in through stakeholder engagement.
