Smart Funding for Sustainable Change: A Roundtable on Catalytic Investment in Country-Led Health Reform

Overview

This session convenes a focused roundtable discussion on how the Joint Learning Network (JLN) can more effectively bridge knowledge translation and catalytic funding to accelerate health systems reform and innovation in Africa through the Joint Learning Fund. We bring together 10–12 donor partner representatives for a strategic dialogue on aligning technical learning, contextualization of global tools and frameworks with financing mechanisms to drive sustainable policy and program change at the country level. JLN will be represented by senior policymakers from JLN African member countries, ensuring high-level perspectives grounded in country implementation experience. The discussion will serve as a critical bridge between JLN’s peer-learning and catalytic funding model (the Joint Learning Fund) and the financing architecture needed to translate knowledge into resilient health system transformation across the continent.

The roundtable is designed to move beyond information sharing toward concrete alignment – identifying where donor financing can be structured to reinforce continuous learning cycles, and where JLN’s knowledge assets can reduce risk and increase the impact of catalytic investments.

Expected Outcomes

• Strengthened Alignment Between Knowledge Translation and Catalytic Funding Mechanisms for Health Systems Strengthening Innovations: Donor partners and JLN member country representatives identify concrete entry points for integrating JLN’s technical learning processes into existing and pipeline of catalytic financing instruments of the JLN such as the Joint Learning Fund, resulting in a shared framework for coordinated action.
• Co-developed Roadmap for Catalytic Funding Partnerships: Participants agree on priority areas for JLN–donor collaboration, including potential joint workstreams, co-financing opportunities, and milestones for embedding learning cycles into health system reform investments across African member countries.
• Elevated Visibility of African Country Leadership in Global Health Reform Dialogue: Senior policymakers from JLN’s African member countries are positioned as credible, evidence-driven voices in global health financing conversations, strengthening the political and institutional case for sustained donor investment in peer learning networks

 Learn more about the programme at WHSRM 2026 Nairobi