Sub-Saharan Africa needs investment of $25-30 billion in the next decade to meet the demand for health care—and the private sector could provide up to 60 percent of this amount.
IFC has released
The Business of Health in Africa: Partnering with the Private Sector to Improve People's Lives, the result of research on the role and impact of Africa's private health sector.
The report finds that:
- The private sector already plays a significant role. A poor woman in Africa today is as likely to take her sick child to a private hospital or clinic as to a public facility.
- The private sector is sometimes the only option for health care in rural regions and poor urban slums. Private providers (for-profit and not-for-profit) serve all income levels and have broad geographic reach.
- African health expenditure will keep growing rapidly, with the private sector playing a key role.
- The private sector must work with the public sector to develop viable, sustainable, and equitable health care systems. But it can help expand access to services for the poorest people and reduce the financial burden on governments.
- Impediments to the health sector today include limited access to capital, burdensome regulations, shortages of skilled workers, and a lack of risk-pooling mechanisms that can mobilize revenue for providers.
These findings are informing
IFC's strategy for the region's health sector. Learn more by reading:
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