‘Multi-sectoral approach needed to address Africa’s weak health systems’
The Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu, says the high levels of maternal mortality, HIV and AIDS, malaria, and non-communicable diseases in African countries are reminders of the weaknesses in the health systems.
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He has, therefore, called for a multi-sectoral approach, including finance, road and transport and education to deal with the myriad of problems in the health sector.
Mr Manu made the call at the opening of a three-day symposium for health professionals in education and research held in Accra.
“Our health systems face a number of challenges, including poor infrastructure, un-integrated information systems, and absence of comprehensive emergency services,” he said, adding that weak governance structures and inadequate financing healthcare services all contribute to the poor state of health of the population.
The symposium, which marks the inauguration of the African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth), was on the theme: “Leadership and capacity building for health professions, education and research.”
It brought together heads of medical schools and nursing colleges, research institutions and other professionals in the health sector from across Africa.
Mr Manu urged health professionals to provide leadership to address the problems that confronted the health sector and also called for strong and effective leadership and governance at all levels of the health delivery chain.
Health challenges in Africa
In a keynote address, the Director, Fogarty International Centre of the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the United States, Dr Roger Glass, said Africa was an essential partner in health research.
“Africa has a lot to contribute to health research,” he observed, and called on health professionals in Africa to take responsible leadership for the improvement of the continent.
Dr Glass, who also commended health professionals in Africa for their creativity in establishing the AFREhealth, called on African governments to also invest in health research.
Formation of AFREhealth
The forum, launched in Nairobi, in 2016, emerged out of the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and the Nursing Education Partnership Initiative (NEPI), two initiatives funded by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PERFAR) and NIH to improve education and research infrastructure in selected medical and nursing schools.
AFREhealth aims to expand and share gains made from the two initiatives with more schools, as well as provide the needed leadership for transforming education of health professionals, research and service delivery in Africa.