WB on Africa’s health investment

NAIROBI. - Low investment by African governments is to blame for inefficiency in providing services to the people, a World Bank official said on Monday.

Khama Rogo, the World Bank’s Lead Health Sector Specialist and Head Health in Africa Initiative, said total health spending per capita in the countries is less than five percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“The governments must reduce inefficiencies by embracing smart financing and smart procurement in order to attain the Universal Health Cover (UHC),” Rogo said during a conference on accelerating the business of universal health care in Nairobi.

He said the countries stand a better chance of leaping to better economic growth if they invest in health care.

“You need to build on your strength while learning from others like China, Thailand, Cuba and Mexico that have made great progress in achieving UHC by injecting subsides from the budget,” he added.

The World Bank official said it is unfortunate that public health spending as a share of total health spending in Africa is low at 22 percent, compared to 36 percent for Low and Middle Income Countries and 57 percent for upper middle income countries.

Rogo said that with proper investment in the sector, the countries stand to create additional jobs and reduce mortality by 11 percent.

He observed that Kenya is capable of attaining the UHC due to the political will but the country must embrace innovation and entrepreneurship through public private partnership. He said financing health sector requires stronger and systemic public financial management and transparency.

“Consider mixed revenue streams by combining both public and private while at the same time prioritise domestic resource mobilisation,” he added.

Miriam Were, the Chancellor of Moi University in Kenya, attributed lack of Community Health Extension Workers as a major barrier for the establishment of Community Health Services. Were said extension workers are the key health cadre in supervising and supporting community level health workforce that has to be in place in all parts of the country.

“Kenya is capable of achieving UHC through community health services by 2022 once it embarks in disease prevention and health promotion in reducing disease burden thus reducing cost in the health sector,” Were added.