Domestic Investments in Healthcare - a Lynchpin For Socioeconomic Transformation Across Africa allafrica: Africa
If there is an overriding lesson Africa can learn from the COVID pandemic, it is self-sufficiency. Though Africa was not the originator of the pandemic, it has suffered disproportionately from it. The strains on our healthcare systems were vast and remain raw, especially among the most vulnerable. Following the pandemic, it is important to look to the future – to assess what we can do to prepare ourselves for future pandemics or health crises.
This was a timely intervention, laying down a roadmap for change. Now is the time to follow that map – taking Africa on a journey towards sustained health financing and stronger and more resilient healthcare systems. How does this look like in practice? The second step in our journey is tapping into the connections, relationships, and opportunities we already have and channeling them into one united goal: building better healthcare systems across the continent. By working together, we can help to prevent thousands of deaths and protect our economies from the adverse effects of healthcare emergencies and ensure healthy and productive generations for the future.
Any of these partnerships will need careful nurturing – and part of this is demonstrating progress and accountability for the funds and support we’re receiving. That is where initiatives like the African Union’s Health Financing Tracker can help. This kind of tool could help our governments to maintain oversight on the funds and resources they receive, guide much-needed reforms and assist them to adhere to their spending commitments.
Self-sustaining healthcare systems are at the core of Africa’s developmental success. Our leaders have been working to improve our healthcare systems over the years. We have seen progress since the Abuja Declaration of 2001 – but there are still some gaps that need urgent attention to match our healthcare spending with our fast-growing population, and the rising disease burden that we face.