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Background: The increasing burden of epidemics of communicable and noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries underscores the importance of strengthening health systems to deliver effective and efficient care. Unfortunately, we know little about the contribution of interventions to an effective functioning of the health systems in Africa. Thus, we seek to identify existing effective interventions which could be implemented or scaled up to strengthen the functionality of health systems in Africa. Methods: We will conduct a scoping review following the methodology recommended in the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers Manual. We will use the following eligibility criteria: 1) study design: any empirical research; 2) participants: any individual, organizations, or systems involved in the delivery or receipt of health care or services; 3) intervention: any practice, procedure, method, strategy, or product covering at least one of the 13 elements of health systems (health workforce, health products, health infrastructure, service delivery processes, health governance processes, health information systems, financial management systems, values and norms, beliefs, practices, organizational culture, interests and networks, and relationships and power); 4) comparator: no restrictions; 5) outcomes: any metrics or indicators related to the four capacities of health systems (access to essential services, quality of care, demand for essential services, and resilience of health systems); and 5) setting: any country in the African continent or any low-income or lower-middle-income countries in other regions according to the 2022 World Bank classifications. We will search electronic databases (e.g., Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library) from inception onwards and hand search the World Health Organization (WHO) Library, Hinari, Google, and Google Scholar. We will select eligible reports, extract relevant information, and synthesize data based on the WHO Framework of Actions for Africa. We will report results using the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews Checklist. Discussion: Our findings will allow us to harmonize the evidence-based interventions that contribute to the functionality of health systems in Africa. This will also contribute to the achievement of universal health coverage and health related sustainable development goals targets.We will disseminate our findings to knowledge users through a publication in a peer-reviewed journal and organization of workshops.

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between corporate governance and the financial soundness of the licensed deposit taking SACCOs in Kenya. The study specifically examined how boards’ responsibility, transparency and disclosure and internal controls influence the financial soundness of licensed deposit taking SACCOs in Kenya. Financial soundness was measured using PEARLS monitoring systems. A questionnaire was administered to the CEOs and senior management officers of the SACCOs. These subjects were deemed conversant with the issues of corporate governance in their respective SACCOs. Regression analysis was used to establish the relationship of corporate governance on the financial soundness of the SACCOs. The study found out that internal controls played a significant role in corporate governance. Three variables namely; board responsibility, transparency and disclosure and internal controls were found to be key factors in financial soundness of the SACCOs. However in ranking according to their role in financial soundness of SACCOs, board responsibility was considered the least. Regression analysis showed that when protection and rates of return coefficients were used as a measure of financial soundness; board responsibility, transparency and internal controls did not explain the variation individually. When the effective financial structure and liquidity coefficients were used, the three independent variables explained the variation. Multiple regressions showed that the variations in the financial soundness were explained by the three independent variables. The study concludes that CEOs and seniors officers can also measure the importance of financial soundness using PEARLS since it evaluates and monitors the SACCOs financial systems more than the usual CAMEL method.