Unlocking the Girl Dividend: Why Smarter Health Financing is Africa’s Best Economic Bet

In this episode of the SRHM Podcast, Eszter Kismődi is joined by Sarah Malaba, Co-CEO of Tiko, to explore how smarter, more equitable health financing can transform the lives of adolescent girls across Sub-Saharan Africa, and why this is fundamentally a question of economic justice.At the centre of the discussion is the “triple threat” of unintended pregnancy, new HIV infections, and sexual violence, three interconnected challenges that not only shape health outcomes but also systematically limit girls’ educational attainment, economic participation and future earning potential. When these risks go unaddressed, they reinforce cycles of poverty and inequality, undermining both individual rights and broader economic development.Drawing on insights from recent global and regional convenings, including the World Health Summit and the RHNK conference, the episode calls for a shift away from high-level commitments towards practical, adequately funded, girl-centred solutions. It highlights the urgent need for governments to move beyond donor dependency and prioritise domestic investment in adolescent girls as a distinct and critical population.The conversation unpacks the concept of the “girl dividend”, emphasising that it cannot be realised without redistributive policies, sustained public investment, and accountability for delivering integrated, stigma-free services. Investing in girls is not only about improving health outcomes, it is about enabling girls to stay in school, access decent work, exercise bodily autonomy, and participate fully in economic and social life.With a strong emphasis on youth participation, real-time data, and multi-sectoral approaches, this episode offers a clear call to action: to centre adolescent girls in policy design and financing decisions, and to recognise that achieving sexual and reproductive health and rights is inseparable from advancing economic justice.