A study published in the open access journal, PLOS Global Public Health, projects slow growth in health sector spending in Sub-Saharan Africa up to 2050. This decline is attributed to tepid growth in the share of government spending allocated to health and reductions in development assistance for health. The analysis, conducted by Angela E Apeagyei and researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, utilizes data from various databases covering development assistance for health, global health spending, and GDP per capita, as well as an expected health spending database that provides projected data to 2050. The study reveals that total health spending is expected to rise as a share of GDP globally, except in Sub-Saharan Africa where it is projected to decrease.
One of the major drivers of the decline in health sector spending in Sub-Saharan Africa is the reduction in development assistance for health. Following a period of growth spurred by the Millennium Development Goals, development assistance for health has experienced a sharp decline, dropping from an annual growth rate of 11.1% to just 4.6%. Economic issues resulting from the COVID pandemic and events like the war in Ukraine have further exacerbated this decrease. Although government spending on health in the region has increased and is projected to continue rising, it will not be sufficient to fill the gap left by reductions in development assistance.
The implications of this downward trend in health sector spending are significant, posing a challenge to meeting health-related Sustainable Development Goals and the Africa Union’s Africa Agenda 2063. The authors of the study hope that their analysis will provide policymakers with a better understanding of future health spending patterns, enabling them to take tangible actions to address the region’s complex economic and health challenges. They emphasize the need for innovative financing strategies to strengthen health systems in Sub-Saharan Africa in alignment with the region’s economic growth and the health needs of its population.
The researchers emphasize that countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are projected to experience significantly lower growth in donor and government funding for health compared to other regions. This highlights the urgency for prioritizing innovative financing strategies to enhance health systems in line with the broader health needs of the population and the region’s economic growth. The study underscores the importance of proactive measures to address the challenges in the health sector and ensure sustainable and equitable access to healthcare services for all individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In conclusion, the projection of slow growth in health sector spending in Sub-Saharan Africa up to 2050 poses a significant challenge to achieving health-related Sustainable Development Goals and the Africa Union’s Africa Agenda 2063. The decline in development assistance for health, coupled with tepid growth in government spending on health, underlines the critical need for innovative financing strategies to strengthen health systems in the region. The authors of the study urge policymakers to translate the insights from the analysis into actionable measures that can help address the region’s complex economic and health challenges, ensuring equitable access to healthcare for all individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa.