Report: Higher health research spending would bring $668 billion to Africa

Increased domestic investment in health research and development across Africa could generate $668 billion in returns for the continent’s economies over 20 years, a new report found. The goal could be achieved if African governments meet the African Union’s call to invest 1% of their GDPs in health, which would amount to about $28 billion, said the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and Team Europe, which together issued the research.

Africa carries 25% of the global disease burden, a measure of the total impact of illness on people worldwide.

1% of clinical trials globally are carried out on the continent. The result is that the diseases most prevalent in Africa are not prioritized. Meanwhile, African nations rely heavily on imported medicines, and health workers often relocate overseas.

A new head-of-state-led initiative aimed at giving African governments more control over their health systems, dubbed the Accra Reset, was announced last year.