White Paper on Universal Healthcare Coverage in Africa

Abstract

There has been increased recognition of the importance of effective and functioning public health systems, while the world continues to grapple with COVID-19. Many African countries, in the 21st century and particularly during the pandemic period have made renewed commitments towards advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC). UHC means everyone has access to the healthcare services that they need, of good quality and, without the risk of financial hardship. While African health outcomes have been improving, they remain low and progress is slow; the continent has 17% of the world’s population, and yet still accounts for 23% of the global burden of disease. The Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC) Commission for the State of UHC was set up in November 2020 to take stock of the continent’s progress towards UHC and to make recommendations on what is needed for the continent to accelerate its journey towards UHC. “The State of UHC in Africa” report targets different stakeholder actions to ensure that UHC is seen as a collective effort by both state and non-state actors and all parties have ownership accelerating progress. This white paper serves as a guide for the actor groups below to develop, implement, reform, and contribute to the improvement of the health sector in Africa.