The tale of the journey towards affordable healthcare in Africa cannot be told without shedding light on the community health workers that bridge the gap between isolated communities and formal healthcare; the health insurance schemes that pool resources to share the burden; or the education and awareness initiatives aimed towards instilling a culture of preventive measures. These are a lean representation of significant steps taken towards the achievement of affordable healthcare in Africa.
About 996 million people worldwide spend more than 10 per cent of their household income on healthcare through direct out-of-pocket payments (OOPs), which has driven families into poverty every year. The problem is critical in low- and middle-income nations, particularly those in Africa, where 27 out of 48 nations are heavily impacted by direct OOPs for healthcare services.
Related: What Africa CDC's new public health order means for Africa and Africans
It goes to prove a point that efficient and effective health financing is the key to achieving affordable healthcare in Nigeria in addition to the employment of result-yielding innovations.
Toluwani Oluwatola, a public health analyst at Sydani shared, “In the 20th century, Africa faced the devastating AIDS epidemic, prompting African leaders to convene in Abuja for an AIDS conference. The resulting Abuja declaration called for allocating 15 per cent of annual budgets to healthcare. While few countries have fully met this commitment, the century also saw the adoption of community-based and national health insurance schemes in Africa. However, the health financing landscape still faces significant challenges, with a high out-of-pocket expenditure of 36 per cent and low health spending per capita of US$80, indicating the need for further improvements and investments in affordable healthcare.”
Promoting equitable healthcare access, preventive care, early detection, and cost-effective interventions require accessible and affordable primary healthcare. Most of the population ultimately benefits because it improves health outcomes, lowers health inequities, supports economic development, and enhances the healthcare systems.
Related: East Africa keenly explores blockchain technology in healthcare
Some of the current initiatives for affordable healthcare in Africa include primary healthcare facilities (PHCs), community health workers (CHWs), insurance plans, telemedicine and mobile health, pharmaceutical partnerships, public-private partnerships (PPPs), investments in health infrastructure, research and development, and international aid/partnerships. Success stories include expanded healthcare access offered by PHCs and CHWs, improved coverage supplied by health insurance programs, expanded reach and efficiency provided by telemedicine, and expanded access to reasonably priced medications provided by pharmaceutical partnerships.
While these initiatives have shown effectiveness in improving healthcare access, challenges remain, such as inadequate infrastructure and funding. Continued investment, collaboration, and innovation are needed to further strengthen affordable healthcare in Africa.
There are several possible ways to improve access to inexpensive healthcare in Africa. The following choices seek to solve the present issues and strengthen the current programmes:
- African countries must use strategic purchasing to make sure that the money allocated for healthcare is spent on the greatest resources at the best possible level of service. Thereby increasing the effectiveness of healthcare spending.
- Encouraging public-private partnerships for accessible healthcare by developing favourable policy environments, establishing frameworks for these partnerships, and enlisting the expertise, resources, and innovations of the private sector to drive creative financing schemes and facilitate technology transfer is another step in the right direction that African countries should take.
- Other options to think about include using community-based tactics like health cooperatives and microinsurance models, utilising cutting-edge tech solutions like AI, telehealth, and mHealth, enhancing regional healthcare systems through the growth of infrastructure and human resource capacity, and many others.
These activities must be implemented using a multifaceted strategy that involves governments, health experts, civil society, and international assistance. Commitment from stakeholders, continuous evaluation, and adaptation to local contexts remain essential to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of affordable healthcare solutions in Africa.
References available on request.
