About ASH > ASH Project History
Over Two Decades of Health and Development Support in Africa ASH is the latest in a series of projects funded by USAID/AFR with the common goal of improving the health of Africans by providing technical assistance in strategic planning and analysis, communications and advocacy, and monitoring and evaluation. The three predecessor projects included:
Africa’s Health in 2010 (2005-2011)
Africa's Health in 2010 was the five-year successor to the Support for Analysis and Research in Africa (SARA) I and II projects under the former Academy for Educational Development (AED). The purpose of the project was to provide strategic, analytical, communications and advocacy, and monitoring and evaluation technical assistance to African public and private institutions and networks to improve the health status of Africans. Africa's Health in 2010 focused on issues identification, analysis, sharing of promising practices, and monitoring and evaluation across the areas of maternal and newborn health, child survival, infectious diseases, reproductive health, multisectoral support to improving health outcomes including HIV & AIDS, nutrition, gender-based violence, and health systems with emphasis on human resource for health, health financing and governance. It provided assistance with strategy development, policy analysis, communication, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation. By applying state-of-the-art technical expertise and principles of social development and communication and working collaboratively with African institutions, the project:
The Support for Analysis and Research in Africa (SARA) I (1992 – 1999) & II (2000 – 2004)
The first Support for Analysis and Research in Africa (SARA) project ran from 1992 to 1999 and was directly followed by SARA II, which ran from 2000 to 2004. Academy for Educational Development (AED) led both projects and in partnership with the same four subcontractors: Tulane University, JHPIEGO, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Population Reference Bureau. The SARA project supported the work of USAID’s Bureau for Africa, Office of Sustainable Development (AFR/SD) to improve policies and programs in health and basic education. Together, AFR/SD and SARA improved the link between research, policy development, and program design and implementation in Africa by promoting the use of information in policy and program development, and by identifying information gaps. The project fostered the use of state-of-the-art information in child survival, nutrition, reproductive health and population, HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, and basic education. SARA carried out research, analysis, dissemination, and advocacy activities in collaboration with regional African institutions and networks, joining with other projects or agencies wherever possible. The project made the following contributions:
Africa’s Health in 2010 (2005-2011)
Africa's Health in 2010 was the five-year successor to the Support for Analysis and Research in Africa (SARA) I and II projects under the former Academy for Educational Development (AED). The purpose of the project was to provide strategic, analytical, communications and advocacy, and monitoring and evaluation technical assistance to African public and private institutions and networks to improve the health status of Africans. Africa's Health in 2010 focused on issues identification, analysis, sharing of promising practices, and monitoring and evaluation across the areas of maternal and newborn health, child survival, infectious diseases, reproductive health, multisectoral support to improving health outcomes including HIV & AIDS, nutrition, gender-based violence, and health systems with emphasis on human resource for health, health financing and governance. It provided assistance with strategy development, policy analysis, communication, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation. By applying state-of-the-art technical expertise and principles of social development and communication and working collaboratively with African institutions, the project:
- Improved policies, increased resources, and scaled-up programs to improve maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition, and to mitigate the consequences of HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB, and emerging diseases in Africa
- Targeted documentation and dissemination, based on evidence, and its use in the programming of lessons and best practices (for example, for increased coverage and quality of priority health services, community approaches, and strengthened health systems)
- Increased analytical, communication, and advocacy capacity of African institutions and networks, including increased advocacy for multisectoral approaches to health improvement and gender-sensitive programming
The Support for Analysis and Research in Africa (SARA) I (1992 – 1999) & II (2000 – 2004)
The first Support for Analysis and Research in Africa (SARA) project ran from 1992 to 1999 and was directly followed by SARA II, which ran from 2000 to 2004. Academy for Educational Development (AED) led both projects and in partnership with the same four subcontractors: Tulane University, JHPIEGO, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Population Reference Bureau. The SARA project supported the work of USAID’s Bureau for Africa, Office of Sustainable Development (AFR/SD) to improve policies and programs in health and basic education. Together, AFR/SD and SARA improved the link between research, policy development, and program design and implementation in Africa by promoting the use of information in policy and program development, and by identifying information gaps. The project fostered the use of state-of-the-art information in child survival, nutrition, reproductive health and population, HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, and basic education. SARA carried out research, analysis, dissemination, and advocacy activities in collaboration with regional African institutions and networks, joining with other projects or agencies wherever possible. The project made the following contributions:
- Supported AFR/SD in developing and managing its Strategic Objectives and results
- Increased the use of research and information through dissemination and advocacy in priority areas of AFR/SD
- Developed linkages with African institutions that foster capacity-building and produce quality research, analysis, dissemination, and advocacy
- Implemented activities in research, analysis, and dissemination that complemented the efforts of other projects and donors
- Developed and promoted the use of generic tools and instruments to improve the practice of programs in health and education