East African Gazette
Kenya
The Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER) which hosts the Africa Coalition on Public Service (ACPS), an alliance comprising more than 500 diverse Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the region, has officially filed a complaint with the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) concerning the inadequate and deteriorating state of healthcare in the region, as well as the unsatisfactory condition of health services.
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They have appealed to the regional parliament to take action in order to enhance local capabilities and prevent citizens from incurring exorbitant expenses for specialized medical treatment overseas.
They contend that this not only hampers the region’s development but also hinders individual livelihood progress.
On March 23, 2024, the petition was presented to EALA, which is currently convened in Nairobi, Kenya.
The coalition also includes individuals who champion gender-responsive, accountable, inclusive, and high-quality public services throughout Africa.
The petitioners noted that several regional states continue to grapple with deficient public health services and under-equipped public schools, while others face challenges in accessing clean and safe water, expensive and often inaccessible electricity, and limited social protection among other challenges.
They observed that the situation has led to significant socio-economic disparities, slowed progress in development, and impeded the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
“We the undersigned draw the attention of the East Africa Legislative Assembly to the deteriorating state of public services within partner states of the East Africa Community, resulting in severe socio-economic inequalities, delayed development and hindered attainment of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals,” they noted in their petition.
Allana Kembabazi, programme manager at ISER, pointed out in the petition the necessity for EAC partner states to focus on socio-economic rights, especially in enhancing public service delivery in crucial sectors like health, education, and social protection, amidst policy crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic, high cost of living, and climate change.
According to the Abuja Declaration recommendations, African countries pledged to allocate 15 percent of their budget to the health sector.
But Kembabazi notes that none of the EAC countries has fulfilled the commitment.
The group notes that many regional partner states face public budget constraints and limited resources allocated towards public services, resulting in inadequate infrastructure, understaffed facilities, and a lack of essential supplies and equipment.
“No East African country has met the Abuja declaration target for health. Current health spending in Africa is $188 per capita compared to $4000 in high income countries. The World Bank has noted that low-income countries will have to double their pre-pandemic health spending,” the petition reads.
They further note that the East African countries intend to reduce annual public spending by $4.7 billion, stressing that such underinvestment compromises equitable and quality public service delivery especially detrimentally impacting the poor.
Dr. Gerald Siranda, a Ugandan member of EALA, expressed his views on the community’s people-centric approach, but emphasized the critical role of healthcare in enabling individuals to contribute effectively to the region’s progress. Siranda highlighted the need for improved healthcare services, as it directly impacts the productivity and well-being of the people.
Furthermore, he stressed the importance of providing proper education to empower individuals and foster the desired growth and development of the region.
According to the petition, just 1% of the least privileged children in South Sudan have successfully completed their education, while in Tanzania, six out of 10 children between the ages of 10 and 14 attending public schools struggle to read or comprehend a basic text.
The World Bank’s assessment of East and Southern Africa discovered that eight out of 10 children face challenges in reading and understanding a simple text by the age of 10, leading them to be classified as ‘learning poor’.
Joseph Ntakirutimana, the Speaker of EALA, assured that the document will be carefully analyzed and deliberated upon by the EALA.