The Evolution of African Social Welfare Systems

By • on June 8, 2012

This post is part of our special coverage Global Development.

Considering the debate generated by healthcare reform in the United States and the gradual withdrawal of the French state from public-funded social action, one might think that social protection is an endangered idea. On the contrary, the right to security is an integral component of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 22) and an important part of the Millenium Development Goals (MDG), as conceived by the United Nations.

For the majority of African countries, social welfare systems are still evolving. Each African government has chosen a system specific to its culture, with varying degrees of success, but all recognize the necessity of protecting at a minimum the most vulnerable populations.

An insufficient social protection system 

Assane Fall-Diop summarizes the struggles that are still needed to achieve a real social welfare system in Africa [fr]:

La protection sociale est devenue un thème obligé des débats électoraux en Afrique. En Côte d’Ivoire et en République démocratique du Congo, la Constitution ou la loi font même de l’assurance-maladie un objectif prioritaire. Cependant, l’essor de l’économie informelle et la faiblesse politique et financière des Etats handicapent les réalisations concrètes [..] En Afrique, « seulement 5 % à 10 % de la population active bénéficie d’une couverture sociale », selon l’Organisation internationale du travail (OIT), qui note une dégradation de la situation au cours des vingt dernières années. L’organisation souligne que « près de 80 % de la population n’a pas accès aux soins de santé de base ».

Social protection became a necessary theme of the electoral debates in Africa. In Cote d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo, either the Constitution or the law make health insurance a priority goal. However, the booming informal economy and the financial and political weaknesses of African states make it difficult to achieve real progress. In Africa, “only 5-10% of the workforce receives social security coverage,” according to the International Labour Organization (ILO), which notes that the situation has deteriorated over the last 20 years. The organization emphasizes that “close to 80% of the population does not have access to basic healthcare.”

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