World Health Day: Access to Quality Healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa and The Role of Pharmacists
Every year on April 7th, the World Health Organisation (WHO) celebrates World Health Day. The theme for this year is “My Health My Right” which implies quality healthcare should be accessible to any and everyone irrespective of age, race, gender, and financial status. In Sub-Saharan Africa, this theme holds particular significance where healthcare inequality is very much present till this day.
According to the WHO, a staggering 672 million Africans, nearly half the continent’s population, lack access to essential health services. This gap is due to several factors, including:
- Weak Health Systems: Sub-Saharan Africa often struggles with inadequate infrastructure, poorly designed healthcare policies, poor health insurance schemes, and a shortage of qualified medical professionals.
- Financial Barriers: The high cost of healthcare can be a significant burden for many families, forcing them to choose between medical care and basic necessities.
- Limited Access to Medicine and Medical Services: Essential medicines, medical products, and innovative technologies are often scarce or unavailable in many places in Sub-Saharan Africa.
These challenges contribute to a vicious cycle. Limited access to healthcare leads to poorer health outcomes, which in turn, place a greater strain on already overburdened health systems.
However, all hope is not lost. World Health Day serves as a call to action for stakeholders such as governments bodies, international organisations, and NGOs to work together towards achieving Universal health coverage in Africa. Here are some potential solutions:
- Investing in Primary Health Care: Strengthening primary healthcare services is crucial to ensure basic medical care is accessible to everyone.
- Financial Risk Protection Schemes: Implementing health insurance programs can help ease the financial burden of healthcare for low-income families.
- Training and Retaining Health Workers: Investing in healthcare education and creating attractive working conditions can help address the shortage of medical professionals.
- Leveraging Technology: Telemedicine and other digital health solutions can improve access to healthcare in remote areas where these healthcare interventions are mostly needed.
Pharmacist’s Role in Achieving Universal Health Coverage
Pharmacists are well-positioned to bridge the gap that leads to healthcare inequality and contribute significantly in other to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Sub-Saharan Africa:
- Improved Medication Adherence: Pharmacists can educate patients on proper medication use, increasing the effectiveness of treatment plans and reducing the risk of complications.
- Rational Drug Use: Pharmacists can help combat counterfeit drugs and ensure patients receive safe and effective medications.
- Expanding Access to Healthcare: Pharmacists can operate in remote areas, offering essential services like basic consultations, screenings, and chronic disease management, reducing the burden on overwhelmed medical facilities.
- Public Health Initiatives: Pharmacists can play a key role in public health initiatives, like immunisation campaigns and medication adherence programs for HIV/AIDS or tuberculosis.
- Collaborative Care: Pharmacists can collaborate with other healthcare professionals, such as doctors, nurses, and community health workers, to provide comprehensive and integrated care. This teamwork can help address the shortage of healthcare professionals and improve the quality of care provided to patients.
- Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: Pharmacists can play a significant role in disease prevention and health promotion by providing health education, screening services, and vaccinations. This can help reduce the burden on already strained healthcare systems and improve overall population health.
- Policy and Advocacy: Pharmacists can also contribute to improving healthcare access by engaging in policy development and advocacy. They can help shape policies that address the unique challenges faced by Sub-Saharan Africa and promote the integration of pharmacists into the healthcare system.
Building a Healthier Future
World Health Day serves as a call to action. Governments, international organisations, NGOs, and healthcare professionals must collaborate to strengthen healthcare systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Below are some specific ways to leverage pharmaceutical expertise in order to achieve this:
- Invest in Pharmacy Education: Increasing the number of trained pharmacists and expanding their scope of practice can significantly improve access to healthcare.
- Support Rural Pharmacies: Establishing pharmacies in underserved areas can extend healthcare services to remote communities.
- Strengthen Medication Supply Chains: Ensuring a stable supply of safe and affordable medications across the region is crucial for effective treatment.
The expertise of Pharmacists can be harnessed in other to implement strategic solution to ensure quality healthcare becomes readily accessible in Sub-Saharan Africa eventually leading to a future where quality healthcare becomes a Fundamental Human Right and not a privilege.
By Ekene Okpechukwu
REFERENCES
- World Health Organization. (2024, April 7). World Health Day [Press release]. https://www.who.int/southeastasia/news/events/world-health-day
- Ojewale, S. (2023, April 7). World Health Day: Over 600 million Africans lack access to quality health care- WHO. Premium Times Nigeria. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/592138-world-health-day-over-600-million-africans-lack-access-to-quality-health-care-who.html
- Health Education England. (n.d.). Telemedicine: A key solution to human rural healthcare challenges. Digital Transformation. https://digital-transformation.hee.nhs.uk/blogs/telemedicine-a-key-solution-to-rural-healthcare-challenges
