Published today, The Human Cost of Public Sector Cuts in Africa surveyed over 600 healthcare workers, teachers and community members in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, and Nigeria. The study highlights that teachers' salaries have plummeted by between 10% and 50% over the past 5 years, with an alarming 97% of health workers reporting insufficient wages for basic needs like rent, food and household expenses.
The study paints a bleak picture of failing public systems – especially for women and girls. It shows how governments’ inadequate investments in education and health sectors have left workers struggling to make ends meet and communities failing to access quality public services.
ActionAid says the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is to blame for its advice to governments to cut spending on public services in order to service foreign debts. With the accelerating debt crisis in the Global South, over three-quarters of all low-income countries in the world are spending more on debt servicing than they spend on health.