Africa: African Development Bank launches consultation process to improve access to health services by 2030

The contributions of the ministers of the 54 African countries members of the Bank, development partners and civil society, should strengthen the Bank’s Strategy for quality health infrastructure in Africa (2021-2030). Underlying this strategy is a solid scoping study titled “Good Health and Well-Being”.

“These consultations are essential to ensure the implementation of an efficient, effective and sustainable strategy,” said Beth Dunford, vice president of the Bank for Agriculture, Human and Social Development. The Covid-19 pandemic, and its impact on lives and livelihoods, strongly justifies the African Development Bank Group’s renewed investments in Africa’s health infrastructure and efforts to strengthen the resilience of its health systems.

” The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed serious shortcomings in African national health systems and exceeded their capacities to detect and treat the virus. Health infrastructure is unevenly distributed and often of poor quality. Only half of the primary health care facilities in sub-Saharan Africa have access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

The strategy focuses on areas that correspond to the Bank’s comparative advantage, including health infrastructure and building flexibility to meet the needs of African countries. The focus areas of focus are: primary health care infrastructure for underserved populations, with investments in support infrastructure to ensure that facilities are connected to water and sanitation services, energy, transport and communication; diagnostic infrastructure, using a range of delivery models, including public-private collaborations; connectivity for innovative health solutions to develop links with information and communication technologies and facilitate innovations in health service delivery.

The Bank’s investments in health infrastructure will be accompanied by information work, policy dialogue and technical assistance, in partnership with other actors in the health sector. This support will focus on effective health financing strategies, including the expansion of health insurance to ensure access for low-income households and the efficient and sustainable use of investments.

“Poor health undermines Africa’s economic productivity. The continent’s health infrastructure needs are too great to be met by a single actor, notes Martha Phiri, director of the Bank’s Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development Department. I welcome the contributions of stakeholders as the African Development Bank Group formulates a series of operations aimed at strengthening African health systems.

” The strategy has been developed in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. The invited stakeholders have until November 5 to take part in the consultation process on the Bank Group strategy for quality health infrastructure in Africa.

Comments on the strategy can be directed to Babatunde Omilola, Head of Public Health, Nutrition and Social Protection at the Bank, by email: b.omilola at afdb.org