Overseas Healthcare Preference Among African High-Ranking Individuals: An Explanation
Struggles to Meet Healthcare Budget Targets in Africa: A Complex Web of Challenges
Africa's healthcare sector is grappling with the challenge of meeting the 15% budget allocation target set by the 2001 Abuja Declaration. This target, aimed at ending the continent's health financing crisis, remains largely unmet due to a combination of political, economic, and systemic factors.
One of the key reasons for this shortfall is the prioritisation of visible infrastructure projects over health. Politicians often allocate funds to projects that garner public attention, leaving health budgets wanting. This political deprioritisation of health is a significant hurdle in achieving the 15% target.
Budgetary constraints are another factor. Many African countries face pressure on their finances and competing demands, making it challenging to dedicate 15% of the national budget to health.
Reliance on external funding for health also poses challenges. Heavy dependence on donor funding creates sustainability issues and reduces the urgency for domestic budget increases. This external dependence contradicts the goal of universal health coverage.
The growing population and disease burden in Africa further complicate matters. Some experts argue that the Abuja 15% target is outdated, as it does not adequately address the rising population, disease burden, and needs for health infrastructure and workforce retention.
Weak budget accountability and legislative involvement also hinder effective resource use and targeting of funds. There is often insufficient parliamentary engagement in budget processes to advocate and oversee health spending.
Despite these challenges, a few countries, such as Rwanda, Botswana, Cape Verde, and South Africa, have regularly met the 15% goal. This suggests that political commitment and governance structures play a critical role in achieving this benchmark.
Meanwhile, medical tourism is on the rise in Africa. An estimated 5,000 Nigerians fly out of the country monthly for medical treatment, with many traveling to India. This trend is not only a consequence of inadequate public financing of health but also a significant reason for it. The World Health Organization reports that over 30 African Union member states allocate less than 10% of their budget to health care, with some allocating as little as 5-7%.
The reliance on medical tourism is highly unsustainable and inconsistent with achieving Universal Health Coverage. Itai Rusike, of the Zimbabwe-based Community Working Group on Health, echoes this sentiment, stating that over-reliance on external funding is unsustainable and contradicts the goal of universal health coverage.
In conclusion, the struggle to meet the Abuja health financing target is a complex issue, rooted in political, economic, and systemic factors that hinder the prioritisation and sustainable financing of healthcare within national budgets across much of Africa. To address this challenge, a concerted effort is needed to strengthen political commitment, improve budget accountability, and invest more in public health.
References:
- African Development Bank. (2018). African countries struggle to meet Abuja health financing target. Retrieved from https://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/article/african-countries-struggle-to-meet-abuja-health-financing-target-65676
- World Health Organization. (2018). Health financing in Africa: Progress and challenges. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565652
- African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure. (2018). Medical tourism in Nigeria: An economic analysis. Retrieved from https://www.ajhtl.org/index.php/ajhtl/article/view/117
- The Guardian. (2017). Nigeria's health system is failing, says researcher. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/mar/14/nigerias-health-system-is-failing-says-researcher
- Afreximbank. (2016). Afreximbank launches support facility to build specialized health facilities across Africa. Retrieved from https://www.afreximbank.com/en/news/afreximbank-launches-support-facility-build-specialized-health-facilities-across-africa-14791
- The global community and the African government must address the political prioritization of infrastructure projects over health, which has contributed to the underfunding of health sectors in Africa.
- Achieving the World Health Organization's Universal Health Coverage requires addressing the financial challenges in Africa, as many countries allocate less than 10% of their budget towards health care.
- In the face of external dependence on donor funding for health, there is a need for investing more in the domestic budget to ensure sustainability and universal health coverage in Africa.
- To tackle Africa's rising disease burden and growing population, some experts argue that the Abuja 15% target may be outdated, emphasizing the importance of revising health resource allocation and addressing healthcare infrastructure and workforce retention needs.
- The increase in medical tourism across Africa, such as the 5,000 Nigerians traveling to India monthly for medical treatment, highlights the consequences of inadequate public financing of health and underscores the importance of strengthening the continent's healthcare systems to improve health and wellness for all.
