The African Union cannot afford neglecting Africa’s healthcare System
Africa shoulders 25% of the global disease burden while navigating systemic underfunding. As the African Union gathers to address critical health priorities, Dr Nthabiseng Makgana outlines why leadership, domestic financing, and local manufacturing are vital for sustainable healthcare reform.
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) in Gauteng has challenged the provincial health department over a deteriorating public healthcare system, warning it may take to the streets if its concerns are not addressed. The union gave the provincial Department of Health a month to respond to its list of critical system failures, including nursing staff shortages, vacant funded posts, unstable hospital management, deteriorating infrastructure, and medicine and medical supply shortages.
The union's chairperson, Bongani Banda, described how staffing shortages were placing pressure on healthcare workers, increasing their exposure to abuse, intimidation, threats, and violence. He also highlighted medicine shortages, which affected both patients and healthcare workers, causing them to seek treatment elsewhere. The union criticized the state of healthcare infrastructure as well, questioning whether the department had sufficient capacity to maintain facilities.
Denosa intends to escalate the matter if needed, and the union warned that the streets were calling.
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