Brazzaville, 12 December 2024 – On Universal Health Coverage Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa released a concerning report highlighting the severe financial burden of healthcare costs on the African population.
According to the report, over 150 million people in Africa are pushed into or deeper into poverty due to out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, with the practice affecting more than 200 million individuals overall.
The report reveals that out-of-pocket payments remain the primary means of funding health services across many African nations, accounting for over a quarter of health spending in 31 countries.
In some nations, this figure surpasses 70%. These costs not only impoverish families but also create barriers to accessing essential health services, particularly for vulnerable populations, including rural households and the elderly.
"Having to pay for healthcare from their own pocket forces many people to forgo other basic needs like food and housing, exacerbating their vulnerability," stated Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa.
"We must intensify efforts to build sustainable health financing systems that ensure access to quality healthcare without financial hardship."
From 2000 to 2019, the number of Africans making catastrophic out-of-pocket payments—defined as spending over 10% of their household budget on healthcare—rose annually by 2.5 million, reaching 95 million in 2019.
While the proportion of people impoverished by healthcare costs globally has dropped significantly, Africa has seen a troubling rise in such cases, with half of the world's financially burdened individuals now residing in the region.
The report calls for urgent action to reverse this trend, recommending measures such as exempting low-income groups from healthcare fees, expanding health insurance coverage, and increasing government investment in health services.
Medicines and outpatient care were identified as the primary drivers of financial hardship.
The WHO Regional Office is committed to supporting African nations in addressing these challenges by enhancing data collection, guiding policy redesign, and promoting evidence-based decision-making.
The full report, titled Towards Universal Health Coverage in the WHO African Region: Tracking Financial Protection, and a regional brief on the findings are available on the WHO Africa website.
