ECA Chief of Staff Aboubakri Diaw, addressing a ministerial dialogue held in the framework of the 76th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa, stated that, on average, the governments finance less than 41 percent of the continent’s total health expenditure.

Diaw stated that the decrease in donor aid forces families to make direct out-of-pocket payments, pushing more than 150 million people into poverty each year.

He also said, in some of the countries analyzed by the Commission, households currently spend more on health than governments themselves.

He noted, “Many countries on this continent are currently allocating more resources to debt servicing than to public health.”

The 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa is being held in this capital from August 24 to 28, with more than 600 delegates from the 47 member States, global leaders of the sector, development partners, and donors to discuss issues related to the workforce, financing, medical regulation, and emergency equipment.

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