The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for the mainstreaming of Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) within Africa’s health systems to improve communication, strengthen health emergency response, and curb disease outbreaks before they escalate.

The Director of Immunisation at Africa CDC, Dr. Folake Olayinka, made the call at the opening of the Continental Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Costing and Financing Workshop in Abuja.
She said Africa CDC is strengthening health security and sovereignty across the continent by aligning member states’ priorities with improved health outcomes, mobilising partners, and supporting countries to achieve their health goals.

Olayinka described SBC as a critical driver of health service uptake and community trust, stressing that it should no longer be treated as a secondary component of healthcare delivery.

“Social behaviour change is at the heart of health uptake, health services, and the confidence communities have in using health services. What we have found is that it is often left behind or treated as secondary, but we need to integrate it as part of the broader health system function in Africa,” she said.
She emphasised the need for African countries to institutionalise health promotion by integrating SBC into broader health system structures, supported by clear financing frameworks.

According to her, a key priority is ensuring that SBC interventions are not only planned but also properly costed and funded as a fundamental pillar of health systems.
“The first step is to have a plan. The next is to cost that plan. Without these, we lack the tools to effectively respond to outbreaks and broader health challenges. Social behaviour change must be costed, financed, and mainstreamed within the health system,” she said.
Olayinka added that the workshop would help countries develop a taxonomy for SBC costing, outlining the key components required for comprehensive and effective planning.
She also stressed the importance of community engagement in achieving sustainable health outcomes.

“Our communities are central to everything. We must not wait for a crisis before we begin to communicate and engage them,” she said.
She expressed optimism that the workshop would help countries build stronger and more resilient health systems driven by well-funded and strategically implemented SBC programmes.
“Africa is getting it right. We are putting the right pillars in place—planning, costing, and execution—to achieve better health outcomes across the continent,” she added.

Also speaking, the Special Regional Representative for West Africa at Africa CDC, Prof. Aliyu Ahmed, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to optimising health systems across the continent.
He noted that although Africa has experienced multiple disease outbreaks, it has also gained valuable experience that can strengthen preparedness and response.

Ahmed said building community trust is central to improving health outcomes, particularly in managing outbreaks such as Ebola in parts of Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

He observed that health promotion and behaviour change have often been fragmented and activated mainly during crises, stressing the need for integration into routine health systems so they are planned, funded, and implemented proactively.