President of the African Development Bank AfDB Akinwunmi Adesina
President of the African Development Bank AfDB Akinwunmi Adesina

Africa loses $1bn yearly to medical tourism – Adesina

June 25, 2021
1 min read

Failing to develop Africa’s healthcare system but embarking on medical tourism to advanced countries, Africa’s leaders are costing the continent $1billion yearly.

This assertion was made by the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, at the virtual Annual General Meeting of the AfDB, which entered its third and final day today, Friday, June 25. Prime Business monitored the event.

Join our WhatsApp Channel

Emphasising the need for African countries to revamp their healthcare infrastructure for easy access to quality healthcare, Adesina said this can be achieved by first giving priority to three critical areas, namely, local production of vaccines on the continent, developing Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, and building quality health care infrastructure.

Other critical areas of focus include scaling up existing manufacturing capacities, invest in tech transfer, expand financing for R&D, establish an Africa Medicine Agency for safety standards and quality control, and attract global companies to locate production facilities in Africa.

According to Adesina, Africa must reduce last-mile access to primary healthcare, modernize secondary tertiary healthcare infrastructure, expand diagnostic infrastructure, and build digitally-enabled health service delivery networks.

Interestingly, Adesina’s observation is coming on the same day President Muhammadu Buhari was initially scheduled for yet another medical checkup in London. However, the President’s office released a statement announcing the postponement of the trip.

content

+ posts

Latest from News

Full List: African Banks With Biggest Brand Value

Full List: African Banks With Biggest Brand Value

African banks have recorded impressive brand value growth, cementing their place as major players in the global financial market. The latest Brand Finance Global 500 report shows that African banks generated $15.2

Don't Miss

AfDB, ECOWAS Seal $11.18m Deal To Boost Rice Production In West Africa

AfDB, ECOWAS Seal $11.18m Deal To Boost Rice Production In West Africa

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Commission