Elise Virginie Longang Owono supports cross-sectoral collaboration
Elise Virginie Longang Owono has been the P4H country focal person (P4H-CFP) in Burundi since September 2021. Appointed first by the World Health Organization (WHO) and then the World Bank Group, she collaborates closely with the executive secretariat of the National Commission for Social Protection (CNPS) and two ministries – the Ministry of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS and the Ministry of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender.Facilitating multistakeholder collaboration
As the P4H-CFP in Burundi, Elise Virginie Longang Owono promotes contact, collaboration and exchanges amongst key actors in the public and private sectors, and in civil society organizations such as mutual health insurance companies, trade unions and health financing partners. A steering committee guides the process of setting up Burundi’s universal health coverage (UHC) system. A multisectoral technical group develops the national health financing strategy.Supporting for the national health financing strategy
To promote consensus between various sectors with a stake in the national health financing strategy, Virginie supports the development of the strategy through consultative sessions. They center on situation analysis and drafting the strategy. The National Health Financing Strategy for UHC 2023-2030 is currently being validated by the steering group and later will be submitted to the government for adoption.Promoting changes between technical and financial partners
Virginie collaborates with the various technical and financial partners working in health financing in Burundi. She participates in the monthly coordination meetings of partners with the government and in the coordination meetings of development partners working on health. She also supports organizing the annual general assembly of the National Inclusion Financial Strategy, presided by the country’s president.Supporting capacity building
Capacity building of government agencies and authorities on social protection in health and health financing for UHC is an area Virginie supports. She conducts workshops and working sessions with national stakeholders while also contributing to training sessions organized by partners such as WHO and the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Burundi and elsewhere. Virginie supported training by WHO on its Health Financing Progress Matrix in Senegal in November 2022 and by ILO on social health protection and UHC in Burundi in February 2023.
