In Abuja Nigeria, a health innovation meeting on Africa, was held on the 7th of May 2014.
At the meeting, the need for the training and reorientation of health professionals, leaders and governments was highlighted, as well as
the need for better policies and improved government strategies to fund health.
Issues surrounding ineffective policies and the recurring scenario of funding organizations dictating to governments on how to appropriate donated funds thereby shifting the focus of the governments from the real issues was addressed.
Emphasis was made on the need for health initiatives and policies to be government led and community owned.
The WHO has put some guidelines in place to monitor and guide the health sector reforms in the Afro region.
The main highlights of the guideline are as follow:
To monitor and expand the coverage of essential health services by ensuring improved quality of service via improved access to the health services provided and the reduction of morbidity and mortality rates amongst women and children.
To clamour for better quality of the basic health services rendered and improved concentration on hard to reach and disadvantaged areas and the vulnerable.
To encourage maximal participation of the community in the health service delivery processes.
To maximize and utilize the resources made available by the private sector in the expansion process.
Some countries in the region have begun to deliberate on the necessary course of action for the establishment of sustainable health systems and infrastructures.
In February about 200 health professionals from around the African continent and globally met at the Afrisante Forum in Morocco to deliberate on the theme : "Africa at this time of reforms"
The issue of Sanitary systems in Africa was brought forward as well as the course health reforms should take.
The South African government has already begun to take steps to fix the issues associated with the nation's sub optimal health sector.
The public sector has been under served for decades and also poorly equipped. Although, access to health care services is better in South Africa than in most other places, there is still gross inequality in the quality of health care delivery.
The private sector which is highly priced is basically for the middle and high income earners, while the low income earners have to scramble for the little the public sector has to offer.
In order to fix some of these challenges the South African government has begun a health reform that will :
- Make available to the general public, a National health insurance scheme that can cater for all the South African people.
- Put structures in place to enhance the fight against HIV and AIDS, Tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases, injury and violence.
- Increase and improve the work force at the state managed hospitals and enable healthy interactions between the public and private health sector.
- Enable the deployment of "health teams" to communities and schools.
- Ensure that health care is affordable to everyone.
- Increase life expectancy from 56.5 years (2009) to 58.5 years by year 2014.
Following the recently concluded presidential elections in Nigeria, talks of health reforms are ongoing between the health sector leaders and the newly elected president and his cabinet.
We hope that these talks produce significant changes in the way health care is approached and administered in Nigeria.
Kenya has undergone several health reforms in the past, the latest began in 2007.
There has been some improvement, however, currently the Nation is still struggling to meet up with it's stipulated health goals.
It is high time we stood up for ourselves in Africa and change the course of things in our continent.
It is time to say NO to failed and failing policies as regards health and embrace change in the form of sustainable health reforms via the strengthening of the primary health care system.
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