Includes bibliographical references and index.

Observation 1 : health systems in Africa are in urgent need of improvement -- Observation 2 : the private health sector in Africa is too large to be ignored, though it is only partly and often poorly integrated into the health system -- Observation 3 : a minimum level of engagement is an important part of the solution -- Results from the data collection -- A different type of engagement : how governments partner with faith-based organizations across the region -- Engagement in low-resource environment -- Level of organization of the private health sector matters -- Refoms as a political process at the country level -- Engagement through health systems strengthening approach -- Key conclusions by domain -- Recommended actions by group of stakeholders -- Action plan for future research -- Toolkit for further guidance.