The shortage of trained health professionals throughout Africa has become so acute that millions of people will never see a doctor in their lifetime – not even to certify their death. The 15% Now Campaign is pushing African governments to commit 15 per cent of their domestic national resources to health. Failure to do this, says the Africa Public Health Alliance – the organization behind the campaign – is equivalent to institutional manslaughter. Over eight million African lives are lost every year as a direct result of the shortfall.
The figures are staggering. Canada, with a population of 32.5 million, has 62,300 doctors, or one for every 520 people. Kenya, with a similar number of inhabitants, has just 4,500 doctors – one for every 8,100. Canada has 60,000 people living with HIV; Kenya has 1.3 million. And while there are just six maternal or childbirth-related deaths per 100,000 in Canada, in Kenya there are 1,000.
