Exploring if and how economic growth that’s happening in some African countries affects people’s health and well-being. Is there a direct benefit? Or, is the relationship a little more complicated?

1. Wealth and Health in Africa
How does economic growth affect the health and
well-being of Africans?
presented by
AMREF’S Coffeehouse Speaker Series on
global development
featuring
DR SHARI ELI from the University of Toronto
and
DR NICHOLAS LI from the University of
Toronto

2. Infant Mortality Rate by Wealth
NOTE: Country order reflects income level based on GDP per capita.
SOURCES: ICF Macro, Demographic and Health Surveys; and World Bank, World Development Indicators Database
Source: http://www.prb.org/Articles/2012/population-economic-development-infographic.aspx

3. Quotable
"Understanding how poor households finance health care—and
how to help them do it better—is a crucial next step for financial
access and development.”
-Berber Kramer
PhD candidate at Tinbergen Institute
Source: http://www.financialaccess.org/blog/2013/02/whats-next-connecting-finance-and-health

4. Did you know?
• China has been successful at improving women’s health outcomes as per capita
income rises.
• Sri Lanka has improved women’s health outcomes without per capita growth
rates.
• India demonstrates that per capita growth can occur without improving women’s
health outcomes.
The common factor: government policy on health spending, according to Jayati
Ghosh from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/nov/23/womens-health-more-than-
economics?INTCMP=SRCH

5. Did you know?
Studies show that national childhood mortality
rates are highest among the poorest households.
Source: http://globalhealthafrica.org/2013/02/01/health-inequalities-wealth-is-health/

6. Quotable
There exists no strong evidence that private health insurance
systems (e.g. USA) offer better or worse financial protection than
public systems (e.g. Canada).
-Paraphrasing David Evans
Author of Protecting Households From Catastrophic Health Spending
Source: http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/26/4/972.short

7. Did you know?
If there are no interventions to reduce the current rate of
maternal deaths and disabilities in Africa, over the next ten
years, it is estimated that $45 billion worth of productivity
will be lost.
Source: http://africasacountry.com/2012/11/28/africa-rising-and-the-shifting-disease-burden/

8. Quotable
“International corporate tax avoidance is like a cancer
eating away at both rich and poor countries … We
know that business can be a force for good in Africa,
but this is massively undermined when a company
doesn’t pay its fair share of tax.”
-Chris Jordan
Tax Specialist at ActionAid
Source: http://www.zambian-economist.com/2013/02/tax-avoidance-in-zambia.html

9. Did you know?
Sub Saharan Africa accounts for 11% of the world’s
population, yet bears 24% of the global disease burden
and commands less than 1% of global health
expenditure.
Source: World Health Organization

10. Did you know?
All of AMREF’s programs recognize the dynamic
relationship between health and wealth: While
poverty is a cause of poor health, poor health
reduces the production ability which leads to
poverty.

11. GDP per Capita and Total Fertility Rates
SOURCES: United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision (2011); and World Bank, World Development Indicators Database.
Source: http://www.prb.org/Articles/2012/population-economic-development-infographic.aspx

12. Did you know?
In South Africa, 80% of the population has access to essential medicine.
In Malawi, 44%.
In Kenya, 36%.
In Nigeria, 10%.
Source: http://heartland.org/sites/all/modules/custom/heartland_migration/files/pdfs/16415.pdf

13. Source: http://www.prb.org/Articles/2012/population-economic-development-infographic.aspx

14. Source: http://www.prb.org/Articles/2012/population-economic-development-infographic.aspx

15. Did you know?
A healthier population can produce more food and generate
higher incomes, which can lead to further improvements in
nutrition, health and education.
Conversely, every year, malaria alone costs an estimated $12
billion in lost wages across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Source: http://www.unido.org/fileadmin/user_media/Services/PSD/BEP/IFC_HealthinAfrica_Final.pdf