ASHENEWS reports that a new report by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, has revealed that over 200 million people in Africa are still heavily reliant on out-of-pocket health payments to finance their health systems.
The report, released on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day, said that this crisis continues to exacerbate poverty and undermining progress toward universal health coverage in the region.
The WHO report noted that despite global efforts to reduce out-of-pocket health spending, Africa still faces a particularly severe challenge.
The WHO said that over 150 million people in the WHO Africa region were pushed into or deeper into poverty due to health-related costs in 2019, with catastrophic payments continuing to rise.
These payments, which account for over 10% of a household’s budget, now affect 95 million people, an increase from 52 million in 2000.
Commenting on the development, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said “Out-of-pocket payments are a leading cause of financial distress for millions of Africans, pushing them into poverty and preventing them from accessing necessary healthcare.”
She added that such payments force families to spend less on basic needs like food and housing, worsening their overall health and financial situation.
The report shows that Africa accounts for half of the global impoverishment caused by out-of-pocket health expenses, a troubling rise from two out of 10 people in 2000.
Despite a decline in the number of people living in extreme poverty due to out-of-pocket payments from 302 million in 2000 to 152 million in 2019, Africa’s progress has been slower than the global trend.
In other parts of the world, the number of people pushed into poverty because of health costs has dropped by over three-quarters.
Significantly, out-of-pocket health spending in many African countries remains high. In 2019, it accounted for over a quarter of health spending in 31 countries, with 11 countries seeing out-of-pocket costs make up more than 50% of health expenditure. In three countries, these payments exceeded 70%. Medicines and outpatient care were identified as the main drivers of this financial hardship.
While some countries have made strides toward reducing the burden of out-of-pocket payments—through measures like abolishing patient fees at the point of care and expanding health insurance schemes—more needs to be done. The report calls for increased government funding in health systems and better financial protection policies to ensure that people can access healthcare without facing financial ruin.
