Africa’s medical system risks ‘collapse in next few years’, warns health leader

‘Politicians think about the next election. This issue is about the next generation.’ Gitahi at the Global NCD Alliance Forum in Kigail, Rwanda. Photograph: Gilberto Lontro/NCD Alliance

Health services in Africa are at risk of “collapse in the next few years” due to soaring chronic diseases, a senior public health leader has warned.

Foreign aid to Africa has been focused on infectious diseases, leaving conditions such as cancer and diabetes to escalate, said Dr Githinji Gitahi, group CEO of Amref Health Africa.