As countries work to address the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), it has become increasingly clear that sustainable financing solutions cannot be developed in silos.
Across regions, governments are grappling with many of the same challenges, from constrained fiscal space and fragmented health systems to financing prevention, strengthening strategic purchasing, and expanding access to quality NCD services. While every country’s context is unique, the need for practical learning, peer exchange, and regional collaboration is shared across borders.
This is where FAN Forum plays a critical role.
As one of the three core functions of the Financing Accelerator Network for NCDs (FAN), alongside FAN Foresight (on-demand technical assistance) and FAN Fund (catalytic seed funding), FAN Forum creates opportunities for countries to learn directly from one another, exchange practical experiences, and collectively shape regional priorities for action.
More than a convening platform, FAN Forum is designed to strengthen regional communities of practice around health financing for NCDs. It creates space for countries to move beyond isolated efforts and instead engage in shared problem-solving, collaborative learning, and long-term relationship building grounded in country realities. Rather than applying a standardized approach, FAN Forum creates opportunities for countries to collectively define challenges and practical solutions most relevant to their regional context.
FAN Forum has demonstrated the value of bringing together governments, technical experts, and regional partners to co-create learning agendas based on the specific needs and opportunities emerging within each region.
Strengthening Regional Collaboration in Sub-Saharan Africa
A key milestone came in 2025, when FAN convened its first Cross-Country Learning Workshop in Nairobi, hosted by the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP). The workshop brought together government leaders, technical experts, and partners from Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Somalia, and Uganda.
Across two days, participants reflected on shared lessons, common challenges, and explored innovative ways to strengthen financing mechanisms for NCDs. The convening represented an important step toward building a stronger regional network focused on advancing domestic financing for NCDs.
A defining feature of the workshop was its emphasis on peer exchange and co-creation. Countries were not simply participating in discussions, but actively co-developing the future direction and learning agenda of regional network. Through facilitated dialogue and cross-country exchange, FAN country members identified areas where additional learning, technical collaboration, and regional engagement would be most valuable moving forward.
Bringing people from different organisations together helps us speak from the same page and move in one direction. – Kenya CCG Member
One of the key priorities identified by participants across the region’s learning agenda was the need to strengthen country capacity to develop and apply NCD investment cases as tools for advancing sustainable financing and policy action. In response, AFIDEP launched the webinar series, Making the Case for NCD Investments, to support countries in building technical knowledge and practical skills in areas such as economic modelling, fiscal space analysis, and policy engagement for health financing for NCDs.
The third webinar on 18 June will the focus on evidence generation to practical application, exploring how NCD investment case findings can be leveraged to support policy dialogue with Ministries of Finance, inform budget prioritization and resource allocation decisions, identify feasible financing options for priority NCD interventions, and strengthen alignment between investment cases and national planning and budgeting processes. Grounded in practical country experiences and peer learning, the session will feature implementation-oriented discussions from FAN Country Core Groups (CCGs) to ensure relevance across diverse country financing and policy contexts.
Looking ahead, AFIDEP will host its second Cross-Country Learning Workshop in August. The convening will bring together regional FAN country members and associate members from Sub-Saharan Africa for an in-person exchange on country leadership, practical problem-solving, and action-oriented learning. The workshop will also include participation from Latin America and the Caribbean’s (LAC) regional NCD Accelerator, Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria (IECS), creating space for cross-regional exchange, shared reflections on challenges, and mutual learning.
Advancing Regional Learning in Latin America and the Caribbean
FAN Forum has also created important opportunities for regional learning and collaboration in LAC.
A key milestone was the first Regional Dialogue on Needs and Priorities for Financing Noncommunicable Diseases in LAC, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in April 2026.
Hosted by FAN’s regional NCD Financing Accelerator, IECS, the dialogue brought together key stakeholders to review and validate the main findings from a FAN regional analysis on health financing for NCDs, and identify priority areas for the next stage of FAN implementation in the region.
Discussions created an important opportunity to collectively reflect on shared challenges and highlight areas where stronger collaboration and peer exchange could support progress on health financing for NCDs.
Participants also emphasized the importance of visibility and knowledge sharing across countries. Regional stakeholders recognized the value of creating stronger mechanisms to exchange information on country-led initiatives, financing priorities, and emerging approaches that may serve as adaptable examples for other countries in the region.
A Core Pillar of the FAN Model
As FAN continues to strengthen engagement with countries across regions, the FAN Forum remains a central pillar of the broader FAN model. By fostering ongoing peer exchange and regional collaboration, FAN Forum helps ensure that technical assistance delivered through FAN Foresight and catalytic investments supported through the FAN Fund are grounded in country experiences, regional priorities, and practical implementation realities.