Corruption, Budget Deficit Hindering Healthcare Advances – Physicians

The West African College of Physicians (WACP) has highlighted the urgent need for systemic reforms in healthcare across the region, citing corruption and poor governance as significant obstacles to development.

WACP President Dr Rose Macauley said yesterday during a press briefing ahead of the college‘s 48th Annual General and Scientific Meeting (AGSM), which will be held from October 28 to 30, 2024, in Abuja. The theme is Strengthening Healthcare Systems in West Africa: Opportunities and Challenges.

She emphasised that many healthcare delivery challenges stem from weak governance, underfunded health budgets, and dependence on external aid.

The WACP President underscored the critical need for government accountability in healthcare spending, lamenting that many West African nations still need to meet the 15 per cent health expenditure target set by the Abuja Declaration.

Dr. Macauley urged governments to increase domestic health investments, strengthen oversight mechanisms, and combat corruption to ensure efficient use of resources.

„People say that we are among the richest in the world. But again, we are the poorest. There are many reasons, one being governance. The resources have to be provided to strengthen the system.  We can put as many recommendations out there as we want, but our governments will have to be the ones to provide the enabling environment for us to strengthen the system. So that goes back to what we always know about our governance system in our sub-region.

„So for us, our goal is to identify these challenges, do the research that we do, and propose recommendations to our government to make the resources available for us to strengthen the system.

Many of our countries rely on external support. The Abuja declaration was signed; we call it a budget declaration, which indicated that our government should pay up to 15 per cent of their GDP into health. I don‘t know how many of our countries have been able to reach that,“ she said.

She lamented that the region continues to face considerable challenges, including emerging infectious and non-communicable diseases and the critical need for sustainable healthcare financing and workforce development.

However, she said the AGSM will be a platform for experts, policymakers, and healthcare professionals to explore actionable solutions.

She added that the AGSM will also focus on the region’s overreliance on external funding, which compromises the sustainability of healthcare systems.

„The conference theme captures our commitment to address some of the most pressing healthcare challenges facing our region while identifying innovative solutions and collaborations that can drive transformative change across West Africa.

„Our gathering in Abuja represents a collective commitment to tackle these challenges and transform our region’s healthcare systems to serve our communities better. We recognise that by bringing together experts from across West Africa and beyond, we will foster dialogue, share knowledge, and develop actionable strategies to strengthen healthcare across our countries,“ she explained.