Building Better Systems for Health Equity Using Social and Behavior Change

The Challenge

The USAID Vision for Health System Strengthening 2030 and the companion Learning Agenda identify social and behavior change (SBC) as a cross-cutting approach critical to strengthening health systems and striving for high-performing ones. In doing so, one goal is to expand thinking around where and how to cast a behavior change lens.

Health System Strengthening (HSS) programming often works in areas such as expanding the quality of and access to health services, health financial protection, health governance, health security, the advancement of universal health coverage (UHC), and other areas aiming to improve health systems and increase health equity. Applying a behavior change lens in each of these areas can yield important insights and inform programming.

The Opportunity

This activity seeks to generate new evidence and consolidate past evidence and learning to aid in integrating SBC approaches into HSS programming, particularly in striving for more equitable access to quality health services.

Resources Developed by the Accelerator for Incorporating Social and Behavior Change into Health Systems Strengthening Work

Formative Research and Dissemination

- Improving Linkages between Social Accountability and Social and Behavior Change: A Preliminary Report of Country Data Collection for Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Guinea (Visit Link)
- Engaging Subnational Stakeholders on Social
  Accountability and Social and Behavior Change
  (SBC) (Visit Link)

Country Engagement

- Using a Behavioral Lens to Mobilize Citizens Around Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Togo (Visit Link)
- Applying a Behavior Change Lens: A Budget Advocacy Tool for National Community Health Policy in Guinea (Actual Tool) (English, Visit Link) (French, Visit Link)
- Applying a Behavior Change Lens: A Budget Advocacy Tool for National Community Health Policy in Guinea (Supportive Materials) (English, Visit Link) (French, Visit Link)
- Tool Summary. Applying a Behavior Change Lens: A Budget Advocacy Tool for the National Community Health Policy in Guinea (English, Visit Link) (French, Visit Link)

Health System Strengthening Spotlight Briefs

- Health Systems Strengthening Practice Spotlight. Social Accountability and Social and Behavior Change: Applying a Behavioral Lens to Social Accountability Approaches. Washington, DC. (Visit Link)
- USAID Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) Practice Spotlight Brief. Financial Protection and Social and Behavior Change: Strengthening Financial Protection Programs Through Behavior Change Approaches (Visit Link)

Webinars and Recorded Presentations

- Global Health Science and Practice Technical Exchange. April 2021. The Intersection of Behavior Change and Health System Strengthening in Global Health – Global Health Science and Practice Technical Exchange (Visit Link)
- Advancing Equity in HSS: Four Key Approaches to Enhance Equity in Implementation and Outcomes. Satellite session for the Seventh Global Symposium for Health System Research (HSR2022). October 26, 2022 (Visit Link)
- USAID Knowledge Exchange: Improving the Linkages between Social and Behavior Change and Health Systems Strengthening. May 10, 2023 (Visit Link)
- Integrating a Behavioral Lens into UHC Programming. Webinar July 24, 2024. Webinar Recording: Integrating a Behavioral Lens into UHC Programming (Visit Link)
- Incorporating Cross-Cutting Concepts into Health Systems Strengthening Work. Presentation at the Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) Open House. July 17, 2024. Accelerator Health Systems Strengthening Open House (Visit Link)

Case Study Explorations

- Exploring Programming around Health Equity, HSS, and SBC (and their intersections): Findings from a Document Review (Visit Link)
- Global Health Programming and Integrating Health Equity, HSS and SBC: Findings from an Online Survey (Visit Link)
- Leveraging SBC Approaches for Stronger Health Systems: A Review of 12 Case Competition Entries (Visit Link)