The 2023 Health Budget allocation of only 11% has remained largely uninspiring given that it has not addressed the critical issues that we raised in our Pre-Budget position paper. It falls far short of the Abuja Declaration Target of 15%.
Unfortunately the health budget remains grossly inadequate to address the critical needs in the health sector such as the current exodus of health workers, drug shortages, inadequate ambulances, and obsolete equipment.
The inadequate public financing of the health sector has resulted in an overreliance on out-of-pocket and external financing which is highly unsustainable.
We hope that the funds allocated will be timeously and fully disbursed to the health sector and that the Ministry of Health will also utilize the funds effectively and in a transparent manner.
I hope this will assist
Itai Rusike, Executive Director, Community Working Group on Health (CWGH)
