The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Africa has made significant progress in ensuring better health outcomes for its people over the past decade.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, made this known in a statement to mark the World Health Day (WHD) which is celebrated every year on April 7.
The theme of the 2024 WHD is: ‘My Health, My Right ‘
She stated that With Member States, WHO have made significant progress in ensuring better health outcomes for people over the past decade. More pregnant mothers and children are surviving today than before. From 2000 to 2020, the life expectancy of African women increased from 54 to 67 years; the maternal mortality ratio decreased by 33% (from 788 to 531 maternal deaths per 100 000 lives), and the number of children dying before the age of 5 was reduced by 50% from 2000 to 2017.
Between 2011 and 2021, the number of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths decreased by 44% and 55%, respectively, across Africa, and the number of TB deaths decreased by 26%. In addition, several diseases are on the verge of eradication and elimination, including polio, guinea worm disease, as well as maternal and neonatal tetanus.
She also applaud the Member States’ efforts to accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Saying They are reforming their health policies and revamping legislative and regulatory frameworks, including National Health Insurance Schemes (NHIS) and Social Health Insurance (SHI) schemes to reduce catastrophic out-of-pocket health expenditures.
Several countries have started operationalizing an integrated Life Stages Approach, which prioritizes the health of individuals at every stage of their life and the care needed at any time.
Health is not only a fundamental human right, but also central to peace and prosperity. Thus, addressing health inequities requires intentional efforts.
Considerations of vulnerable groups must be assessed. Their needs ought to be purposively integrated into health programmes at all levels to accelerate progress toward UHC.
Moeti acknowledge that many in the region still need help with access to quality essential health services due largely to unfulfilled rights. This is further compounded by protracted and ongoing crises such as conflicts, climate change, food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and epidemics.
The number of people aged 15 and over living with HIV is still high at an estimated 24.3 million in 2021 (3.4 % of the total population) compared to 15.6 million in 2005. This reflects the continued transmission of HIV despite reductions in the incidence of people newly infected and the benefits of significantly expanded access to antiretrovirals.
Disparities in the coverage of key reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health interventions remain significant, with the rural dweller, the poor, and those in hard-to-reach areas being the most disadvantaged. Furthermore, about 8% of the population in the African Region is still experiencing catastrophic health expenditures.
She urge the Member States to uphold the progress towards fulfilling the right to health, agreed by all nations of the world in 1948 and enshrined in the WHO Constitution.
The right to health is a universal right of all human beings, regardless of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or another status.
During the High-level meeting on Universal Health Coverage during the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Heads of State and Government committed to scale-up efforts to build and strengthen quality, people-centered, sustainable, and resilient health systems.
