World Health Day: 600m Africans Lack Access To Health Care -WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that 672 million people in Africa still lack access to the health care they need.

WHO regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, made the disclosure in a message in commemoration of the 2023 World Health Day and WHO’s 75th Anniversary.

She said “About half of Africa’s citizens (48%), some 672 million people still do not have access to the health care they need”

This, Moeti said results from weak health systems characterised by inadequate health infrastructure; poorly designed policies to limit financial barriers to health services; shortage of qualified health workers; inadequate access to quality medicines, medical products, and innovative technologies.

She noted that the COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruptions to essential services, adding that health emergencies and worsening climate situation negatively impact efforts to accelerate progress towards UHC.

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“Health emergencies, many of which are driven by climate change, often disrupt access to safe water and sanitation services, increasing the risk of waterborne and vector-borne diseases,”she said.

Moeti, therefore, called for strengthening of health systems based on strong primary health care (PHC), saying it is crucial to building back better and accelerating progress towards universal health coverage and health security.

“Financial investment in PHC oriented by the building blocks of health systems, particularly a health workforce, health infrastructure, medicines and health technologies, should be supported and guided by evidence.

“Ensuring additional investment to improve financial risk protection, addressing inequities, and building the resilience of national health systems in the post-COVID era are critical to our efforts to accelerate progress towards UHC in the African Region,” she added.