Berjo Dongmo Takoutsing
Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
Chibuikem Ikwuegbuenyi
Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon
Alice Umutoni
Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon; College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Oloruntoba Ogunfolaji
Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon; College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Nourou Dine Adeniran Bankole
Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon; Neurosurgery Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University of Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
Racheal Mpokota
Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon; Levy Mwanawasa Medical University, Lusaka, Zambia
Gideon Adegboyega
Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon; Levy Mwanawasa Medical University, Lusaka, Zambia
Ulrick Sidney Kanmounye
Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon; Operation Smile Ghana, Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana
Yao Christian Hugues Dokponou
Research Department, Association of Future African Neurosurgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon; Neurosurgery Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University of Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
Abstract
Implementing health-system strengthening policies remains a challenge in Africa. Past successes, predictable but unanticipated flaws, underutilization of health services, traditional medicine, global inequity and poor practice by local stakeholders are some of the reasons many African countries have made little progress towards attaining global health goals. As a result, Africa has the highest disease burden despite multiple efforts from the global health community. These raise the question: what has to change so that health systems strengthening efforts in Africa are successful?