African journalists equipped with monitoring health spending
Speaking virtually during the workshop, Agnes Midi, Senior Health Adviser at WHO's Liaison Office to the African Union and UNECA, said African countries were facing difficult financing decisions as international development assistance declined and national budgets came under increasing pressure.
The three-day media workshop, held in Nairobi, Kenya, from October 28 to 30, 2026, brought together journalists from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Cameroon.
NAIROBI - The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has equipped journalists from 10 African countries with skills to scrutinise government health spending and strengthen accountability for healthcare financing commitments across the continent.
The three-day media workshop, held in Nairobi, Kenya, from October 28 to 30, 2026, brought together journalists from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Cameroon.
The training focused on strengthening journalists' understanding of health financing, government budget allocations and the relationship between investment in healthcare and economic development.
Opening the workshop, Aboubakari Diaw, UNECA Chief of Staff and Health Financing Team Lead, challenged journalists to move beyond reporting on diseases and health service delivery to investigating how governments mobilise, allocate and spend resources intended for healthcare.
"Follow the money upstream, from the ward to the Treasury," Diaw told participants.
Diaw encouraged journalists to establish the specific budget allocations, financial years and funding sources behind government promises rather than reporting commitments without examining their implementation.
His remarks come amid growing concerns over inadequate public investment in healthcare, declining international assistance and the financial burden placed on African households seeking medical treatment.
According to Diaw, out-of-pocket payments account for approximately 35% of total health expenditure in the WHO African Region, while an estimated 420 million Africans experienced financial hardship associated with healthcare costs in 2022
He noted that 25 years after African governments adopted the Abuja Declaration, committing themselves to allocating at least 15% of their national budgets to health, only one country has consistently fulfilled the commitment.
He emphasised that health financing should no longer be regarded merely as government expenditure but as an investment that contributes to economic productivity, national development and improved living standards.
Speaking virtually during the workshop, Agnes Midi, Senior Health Adviser at WHO's Liaison Office to the African Union and UNECA, said African countries were facing difficult financing decisions as international development assistance declined and national budgets came under increasing pressure.
She warned that reductions in external support could disrupt essential healthcare services, including HIV programmes, laboratory systems and emergency preparedness, particularly where governments had not established alternative funding arrangements.
Midi emphasised the need for governments to improve the efficiency of existing resources while developing sustainable financing mechanisms that protect vulnerable populations.
She explained that raising additional revenue alone would not address financing challenges unless governments also strengthened budget management, improved service delivery and ensured that available resources reached those most in need.
The WHO official also highlighted the importance of investing in primary healthcare, disease prevention and financial protection to reduce the burden of medical expenses on households.