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National health systems – Africa’s big public health challenge


Brazzaville, 22 December 2014 – No region needs to scale up its health systems more than Africa. People get sick and die in many cases because the systems for disease prevention and control are not in place or – if they are – they do not function properly.

This is not only the case in Ebola-affected countries in West Africa but also in non-affected countries throughout the African Region. By any measure of health system function – immunization coverage, skilled birth attendance, malnutrition, and maternal and child mortality – the Region is in poor shape, despite recent improvements.

In spite of all the obstacles, a unique opportunity exists for governments to produce and implement bold strategies that can have large health and economic benefits. This is especially true for the countries affected by Ebola.

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