Introduction

Why do most of our African Leaders often go abroad for medical check treatments? Is it because they do not believe in their own health systems? Call it the curse of geography. A person born in the African continent will live 17 years less than one born in America or Europe. Enduring life in a place that has the world’s highest infant and child mortality rates does not ensure that the spell of the curse will be broken. I hope it will be broken but then at what cost? A 15-year-old adult in Africa has a high probability of dying before the age of 60 years. The continent has a precarious demography; 95 per cent of its population is less than 60 years old, while the average life expectancy at birth is 60.

Identifying Major Challenges to Healthcare Systems in Africa:

There are various challenges affecting the Healthcare systems in Africa, however the major ones have been identified and explained below.

• Lack of political will to improve infrastructure: This has resulted in 80 per cent of the people taking the help of traditional health workers for treatment. The African Union’s Abuja Declaration states that every country must invest at least 15 per cent of its annual budget into healthcare. In 2014, only four countries managed to achieve this. Health has been a matter of concern for Africa for many years. The good news is that the continent has woken up to the importance of investing in improving the environment. It can take lessons from Rwanda which is moving towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG”)” target. The country has strengthened its health network by making crucial investments and improving technology. 

• Inadequate financing of healthcare in Africa: The majority of African countries, scarcity of funds for healthcare is a chronic problem with even the richest countries finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with rising healthcare costs, especially in the face of the ongoing economic downturn.

• Poor leadership and management: One of the biggest challenges even in the coming decades will be the selection and development of leaders who are trained and prepared for leadership in increasingly complex healthcare systems. A study on leadership challenges in healthcare revealed that one of the underlying reasons for poor leadership stems from managers’ unfamiliarity with leadership techniques which in many cases is due to managers’ disbelief in the effectiveness and necessity of learning these techniques.

• Limited availability of medical supplies and drugs: Healthcare systems in Africa frequently struggle with access to and price of necessary medications and supplies. This issue is exacerbated by inadequate funding, failing pharmaceutical firms, and problems with supply networks. The quality of healthcare services in the area may be greatly impacted by a lack of access to critical supplies and equipment.

Conclusion 

Lack of political will, healthcare financing and poor leadership and management are the major challenges of healthcare systems in Africa. The major solutions outlined by the participants grouped into leadership and governance, healthcare workforce and healthcare financing. It is important for public health policymakers in Africa to adopt national guidelines for healthcare system development, based on the WHO framework with buy-in from healthcare workers and most importantly from governments across the region. Creative solutions are required and a lack of resources may mean that public–private partnerships may need to be adopted. Some of the proffered solutions which mostly addressed the issues outlined as the major challenges include training and capacity building for health workers, increased budgetary allocation to health, advocacy for political support and commitment, health insurance for all and improved leadership.