By Sharon Atieno
African countries have been urged to focus their efforts on the underserved and unreached to improve health indicators on the continent.
With nearly half of the African population, about 615 million people, unable to access healthcare, Dr. Ahmed Ogwell, CEO and President of VillageReach, a global health non-profit organization, said there needs to be a shift in how health services are delivered, starting from the community level.
Calling for resource allocation, he said, “Real work means we need to start with those most vulnerable and then build upwards. Improving the ability of dispensaries and health care centres would improve health indicators.”
Speaking during a media roundtable in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, Dr. Ogwell noted that by taking services to where the communities are and improving their access, “then they feel more responsible for their own health and consume that service more efficiently.”
He also advocated for local innovation, saying, “We don’t have to wait for someone else to make a product for us to consume. We need to innovate it locally to deliver the health care we need.”
Dr. Ogwell reiterated that if the continent can be able to increase innovations in communication, tools, health products and delivery systems, then a lot more benefits can be derived from the investment that is being made in the health sector.
Additionally, he called for collaboration among institutions and governments within the health sector. “Today, there are many institutions that are working in the global health space but you don’t see as much synergy in their work as we should. And that is why, when there are some challenges in funding for global health, you find the whole sector comes down fast because we didn’t learn the lessons of working together,” Dr. Ogwell said.
Dr. Bannet Ndyanabangi, Vice President of Global Programs, VillageReach, called for smarter, more targeted investment in the health sector.
“The governments need to increase efficiencies, accountabilities, reduce fragmentation and invest more in community health systems,” he said, adding that efficiencies and effectiveness are in investing in community-based interventions such as community outreaches and health workers.
VillageReach seeks to reduce inequities in health systems, reaching 350 million people by 2030. Over the last 25 years, they have reached some 111 million people.
