How Africa Can Reduce Public Health Burden – Akangbe

The founder of Zenith Global Health, Mary Akangbe, has urged African countries to invest in human resource for health through upscaling and adding value, noting that such would help reduce the burden on public health on the continent.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Africa Health Summit and Awards organised by Zenith Global Health in Accra-Ghana, Akangbe said investing Human resource is the basis of the delivery of quality healthcare.

She said some African countries had devised a novel approach through investing in human resource which is the basis of delivery of quality care, through upskilling and adding value and consequently retention.

“This way, it will be easier to achieve optimum outcomes for the population, reduce the burden on public health and focus on wellbeing, person-centered care and prevention,” she said.

According to Akangbe, one way of ensuring access and equity for all through healthcare delivery is by making the national health insurance scheme (NHIS) available for everyone and lamented that the reality though is that many African countries are struggling to cover a large majority of the population.

She stressed the need for practicing harm reduction and ensuring that all citizens, including those who use psychoactive substances such as alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, have equitable access to healthcare.

“We need to make healthcare available at different stages beginning with the children who should be taught first aid and life changing techniques at the primary school. “They also should learn climate responsive behaviours,” she added.

Akangbe said Zenith Global Health aims to foster partnership, collaboration and shared learning, thereby bridging the global North/South divide and leverage partnerships involving all stakeholders, policy makers in positive and meaningful engagement to ensure health equity and access.