For overall planning and coordination of the AHWO and to facilitate intercountry activities, there is a regional secretariat for support and facilitation. The regional secretariat is expected to facilitate:
- the formation of national observatories;
- development of common guidelines and tools;
- communication with national observatories;
- intercountry studies, dissemination of intercountry studies and sharing of national studies, and management of the web site;
- linkages with other health system interventions and disease-based activities;
- resource mobilization and fund-raising efforts.
The regional secretariat is hosted by the WHO regional Office for Africa.