Africa overview: Data, social determinants, and better decision-making for health Posted on 21/09/2021 by Moreen Nkonge PUBLICATIONS RESOURCES // PUBLICATIONS Briefing Papers Africa overview: Data, social determinants, and better decision-making for health Urbanization and Wellbeing September 2021 A lack of access to medicines each year contributes to millions of deaths and untold suffering in Africa. HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria—all of which are treatable with existing medicines—kill approximately 6 million people every year, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. This burden ultimately falls on the poor, women and especially children. Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, challenges regarding access to medicines can be attributed to a wide range of factors, including the unavailability or affordability of drugs, the absence of medical information and tracking system, and a lack of access to transportation services. To address the lack of access to medicines within Africa, decision-makers must ensure that data on the social determinants of health contributes to better, more transparent, and more accountable governance and that decisions about investments in any sector are made with health as a consideration. Download CONTRIBUTORS Head of Urbanization and Wellbeing Blessing Mberu Blessing is a Senior Research Scientist and Head of Urbanization… View Profile SIMILAR PUBLICATIONS Journal Articles What has poverty got to do with it? Analysis of household access to improved sanitation in Ghana Journal Articles Verbal autopsy interpretation: a comparative analysis of the interva model versus physician review in determining causes of death in the nairobi dss* Journal Articles Using historical vital statistics to predict the distribution of under-five mortality by cause* Briefing Papers Urban Health in Kenya Key Findings 2000 Nairobi Cross-Sectional Slum Survey Briefing Papers Urban Health in Kenya Key Findings 2000 Nairobi Cross-Sectional Slum Survey Journal Articles Towards Risk-Sensitive and Transformative Urban Development in Sub Saharan Africa Technical Reports The state of the world’s children 2012: children in an urban world* Technical Reports The report of the 3-D Commission: Data, social determinants, and better decision-making for health Journal Articles The health and well-being of older people in nairobi’s slums*