Some of the poorest nations on earth are in Africa and the effects of the global economic downturn have hit them particularly hard, with serious consequences for the health of their populations. Manufacturing Chemist summarises some of the latest developments across the continent.
There can be few parts of the world that have felt the effects of the economic downturn as profoundly as Africa. Poverty is directly linked to poor health through multiple routes, says the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), thus the global financial crisis could undermine the important advances made in healthcare in Africa in the past decade.
The capacity of the population to participate in economic activity and enjoy a better quality of life is highly influenced by its health status, the OECD stresses. The international community has accepted specific Millennium Development Goals on health and is striving to achieve them by 2015, which will facilitate social and economic development and growth in Africa. Meanwhile some African governments are making major changes in regulatory policies and are investing in domestic manufacture of generic medicines to reduce reliance on imports.
But the factors that put Africa at greatest disadvantage in the healthcare rankings are the same factors that make its pharmaceutical markets ripe for development: high prevalence of disease and a huge population base.
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