A recent webinar by ActionAid has laid bare how austerity measures imposed by global lenders such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are decimating health and education systems across Africa.
A study conducted in six nations: Malawi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Liberia indicates that these countries are among the worst affected, enduring deep public sector cuts that are crippling essential services.
The findings were unveiled during a global webinar co-hosted by the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), revealing a continent-wide pattern where debt repayment is prioritised over basic human needs.
The burden, according to the report, falls heaviest on women and girls.
“Countries are spending up to five times more on servicing debt than on health or education,” said Roos Saalbrink of ActionAid International.
In Malawi, overcrowded classrooms often see up to 200 pupils per teacher, while hospitals suffer severe shortages of staff, electricity, and essential medicines.
“Some women give birth at home because certain health facilities are far from communities and often face stockouts of basic supplies,” said Yandura Chipeta, Director of ActionAid Malawi.
The crisis cuts across borders:
In Nigeria, many schools are conducted outdoors beneath trees, with teachers forced to buy their own chalk.
In Ghana, a nationwide strike by nurses over unpaid salaries has paralysed hospital operations.
In Kenya, health care workers report burnout levels nearing 100 percent due to overwhelming workloads.
“IMF policies consistently favour creditors over citizens,” argued Diana Mochoge of AFRODAD, noting that 38 African nations now spend more on debt repayments than on health services.
In her contribution, Isabel Guzman of ITUC denounced wage freezes for public workers:
“You cannot stabilise economies by starving public services of funding. We know this is emanating from unrealistic demands of global financial institutions.”
The report urges a radical shift in global economic governance. Recommendations include immediate debt cancellation for heavily indebted poor countries, including Malawi, the introduction of progressive taxation systems, and a complete overhaul of IMF austerity conditions.
“This is not responsible fiscal management it’s a systemic abandonment of the most vulnerable,” said Hajara Adamu, a Nigerian activist.
According to ActionAid, although governments such as Malawi’s are implementing policies aimed at cushioning the most vulnerable such as the Social Cash Transfer and the disbursement of National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) loans IMF-imposed spending limits are unravelling Africa’s social contract.
The webinar ended with a strong call for debt cancellation and restructuring to ease the burden on the people.
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