The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa‑CDC) warned that almost 40 % of the continent's health resources are lost to inefficiency and poor governance. Tolbert Nyenswah, Africa‑CDC's Director for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, revealed the figure during the agency's weekly high‑level regional press briefing on Thursday.
Nyenswah said the loss could be reversed, allowing billions of dollars to be freed without additional funding. He emphasized that "Fixing these inefficiencies is not just about more money; it is about smarter use of existing resources." The director added that better governance, higher efficiency and accountable public financial management are essential to transform health systems.
The briefing cited the Democratic Republic of Congo as an example, noting its progress toward allocating 14.5 % of the national budget to health, a target set by the Abuja Declaration. Nyenswah also linked a rise in public‑health events to climate and environmental factors and warned that antimicrobial resistance is further straining health services.
Africa‑CDC has secured more than $250 million in strategic investments from the EU, the Global Fund and the Pandemic Fund. The funds target One Health initiatives, climate‑resilient systems and pandemic preparedness.
The agency called on African governments to prioritize efficiency and governance reforms, cautioning that without such action the continent's health goals will remain out of reach. (NAN)
Tolbert Nyenswah's stark admission that nearly two‑fifths of Africa's health spending evaporates through mismanagement places the continent's pandemic preparedness on a precarious footing. The claim that billions could be redirected without new money hinges on a single lever: governance reform.
The warning arrives as the Democratic Republic of Congo inches toward the Abuja‑mandated 15 % health‑budget target, suggesting that political will can translate into measurable progress. Yet Nyenswah's broader picture—climate‑linked disease spikes and rising antimicrobial resistance—reveals systemic pressures that outpace isolated budget increases. The $250 million pooled from the EU, Global Fund and Pandemic Fund underscores a reliance on external financing to shore up fragile health architectures.
For ordinary Nigerians, the immediate impact could be felt in reduced out‑of‑pocket expenses for essential services if governments reallocate existing funds more efficiently. Rural clinics, already stretched thin, stand to gain from better‑managed supplies and staff, while urban patients may see shorter waiting times and improved disease surveillance.
This episode mirrors a growing pattern across Africa where financial leakage, rather than sheer scarcity, hampers health outcomes. Repeated calls for stronger public‑financial management hint at a continental shift toward accountability, a trend that, if realized, could reshape the funding landscape for health across the region.
