In Vol.390 | Number 10114 | Dec 23, 2017
by
Irene Akua Agyepong, Nelson Sewankambo, Agnes Binagwaho, Awa Marie Coll-Seck, Tumani Corrah, Alex Ezeh, Abebaw Fekadu,
Nduku Kilonzo, Peter Lamptey, Felix Masiye, Bongani Mayosi, Souleymane Mboup, Jean-Jacques Muyembe, Muhammad Pate, Myriam Sidibe,
Bright Simons, Sheila Tlou, Adrian Gheorghe, Helena Legido-Quigley, Joanne McManus, Edmond Ng, Maureen O’Leary, Jamie Enoch,
Nicholas Kassebaum, Peter Piot
Key messages
• Africa’s health indicators remain behind those of other continents and major health inequities exist. Health outcomes are worst in fragile countries, rural areas, urban slums, and conflict zones, and among poor, disabled, and marginalised people.
• Most sub-Saharan countries face a double burden of infectious diseases, malnutrition, and child and maternal mortality, in addition to emerging challenges of chronic conditions, such as hypertension, mental health disorders, and health problems related to climate change and environmental degradation.
• Substantial progress in many health indicators has been made in the Millennium Development Goal era but progress at the present pace is a recipe for failure.
• The vision of this Commission is that by 2030 Africans should have the same opportunities for long and healthy lives that new technologies, well-functioning health systems, and good governance offer people living on other continents.
• The main opportunities ahead cannot be unlocked by keeping to the same pace and using more of the same approaches to health systems, as even high-income countries are struggling with the rapidly growing burden of chronic conditions.
• Africa-based and home-grown solutions—with the realities of each country and each community embedded at their cores—are required, and each country needs to chart its own sustainable path to improve health outcomes.
• A framework shift is needed to deliver better health outcomes through people-centred health systems, with focuses on prevention, primary care, and public health.
• There are historic, not to be missed opportunities to improve several health outcomes within the next decade, seizing the momentum generated by the Millennium Development Goals by bringing traditional challenges under control and preventing others from taking hold.
• Achievement of good health for all citizens should be a political and investment priority for every country, which will also contribute to economic growth and sustainable development.
• Countries can and should invest more in health and do more to address inefficiencies by identification of new funding sources and movement towards prioritisation of health in domestic budgets.
• Local generation and use of innovation will accelerate better health outcomes, reduce inequities, and have huge scope for prevention and care by harnessing the rapid growth in information and mobile technology in the African continent.
• Investment in higher education and research are essential for better health and sustainable development by enhancing research capacity for identification of challenges and devising local solutions.
