Press Release – New African Civil Society Advocacy Network Puts a Spotlight on Africa’s Resilience Priorities

Rani (formerly Pandemic Action Network) Introduces Resilience Action Network Africa (RANA) on Sidelines of CPHIA 2023

Nov. 29, 2023, Lusaka, Zambia — In response to the mounting climate and health crisis, Resilience Action Network International (rani) will introduce Resilience Action Network Africa (RANA), an independent African civil society advocacy network of more than 30 initial partners, on the margins of the third annual International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA) on Nov. 29, 2023. Alongside civil society partners from across Africa at the national and regional levels and together with global partners, RANA will focus on strengthening Africa’s resilience and advancing the African Union’s New Public Health Order (NPHO). 

RANA will build on rani’s successful networked advocacy impact on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, work to fill policy gaps at the national and regional level in Africa, and advance local institutions and agencies to strengthen health systems. In partnership with Pandemic Action Network, RANA will take a whole-of-society approach to pandemic issues, purposefully identifying opportunities to collaborate with advocates and networks from across the resilience agenda, including gender, climate, finance, food systems, health, and nature. 

Aggrey Aluso, the incoming Executive Director of RANA, will continue to serve as rani’s Africa Director and Global Policy Lead. He shared, “This moment is urgent. It requires bold thinking, bold collaboration, and bold action. We must break out of policy and advocacy silos in order to create resilient, interconnected systems that reflect the realities and needs of communities across the African continent. We must come together with a networked approach that connects African national and regional priorities while bringing the African voice to global processes to help reset the imbalanced power dynamics that undermine resilience. Together with partners, our vision is a resilient and healthy Africa, safeguarded by African-led solutions, informed by African needs, and driven by African leadership.”

Eloise Todd, rani Executive Director and Founder, added: “Humanity is facing two major existential threats: climate change and pandemics. These global threats are highly interconnected, and their risk to lives, livelihoods, human progress, and human rights is growing. We must shift our policy thinking and our investments to strengthen the resilience of our countries, our communities, and our people. We’ve learned from experience at rani that networked advocacy — radical collaboration to advance shared agendas — is the most effective way to move the needle. It’s our hope that RANA will effect real change by connecting the policy reality to the policy ideation that often takes place far away from the communities the policy is intended to serve.” 

“The launch of Resilience Action Network Africa marks a new phase in our joint effort for a healthier Africa. The challenges we are facing need all of us working collaboratively, beyond individual groups or sectors, and adopting a united, society-wide approach,” said Vivianne Ihekweazu, Nigeria Health Watch’s Managing Director. 

About Rani
Rani is a global advocacy network dedicated to building societal resilience to tackle shifts, change, and crisis. Rani’s network of hundreds of partners – from civil society to governments and the private sector – works together on policy, advocacy, funding mechanisms, and coordinated action across health and pandemics, biosecurity and defence, finance, and climate. Learn more.

About Resilience Action Network Africa
Resilience Action Network Africa (RANA) has been established to become an independent African CSO advocacy network working with partners at the national, regional, and global levels to strengthen Africa’s resilience and advance the African Union’s New Public Health Order. RANA aims to realize the vision of an Africa where the health resilience of all is safeguarded through African-led solutions, informed by African needs, and driven by African leadership.