Africa CDC, UNICEF Urge Domestic Investment to Build Two Million Community Health Workforce. By Raymond Enoch
Africa CDC and UNICEF have issued a fresh call for stronger domestic financing of community health systems across the continent, following new analyses demonstrating the economic and strategic value of community health workers (CHWs).
The new data, released through the Continental Coordination Mechanism (CCM) Taskforce, shows how evidence-based planning can accelerate national investment, reduce donor dependency and strengthen people-centred health systems in African Union Member States.
According to the 2024 Africa CDC–UNICEF Community Health Survey, Africa currently has 1,042,441 community health workers deployed in 48 countries, with women accounting for 50.5% of the workforce. While this marks steady progress toward the African Union’s target of two million CHWs, set in 2017, the average density remains low at 7.4 workers per 10,000 population, underscoring the need for urgent scaling.
The survey indicates significant advances in political commitment: 43 Member States now have national community health strategies, with 35 of them fully costed, a dramatic rise from just 47% two years ago. In addition, 49 countries (96%) have formal national structures to coordinate community health programmes and align partners under government leadership.
CHWs serve as the first line of public health delivery, supporting everything from community-based surveillance and health promotion to basic treatment, nutrition counselling, and mental health services. Officials say this frontline workforce remains one of the most cost-effective investments in national health security and disease prevention.
Yet despite the progress, financing remains dangerously fragile. Only 51% of community health budgets are currently funded, and most of that support comes from external partners. Just six African countries finance more than 80% of their CHW programmes domestically, while 18 nations depend on donors for 90% or more of their funding.
Africa CDC and UNICEF estimate that the continent requires an additional USD 3.65 billion — roughly USD 720 million every year for five years — to deploy the full two-million-strong community health workforce needed to drive universal health coverage.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of Africa CDC, said the findings will help guide Member States to make strategic fiscal and policy decisions that reinforce sustainable public health delivery.
“As these findings highlight both progress and the critical bottlenecks that must be addressed collectively at continental and national levels, Africa CDC and UNICEF are finalising the report for a high-level launch,” Dr. Kaseya noted.
The CCM Taskforce — which leads continental advocacy and mobilises political and financial support for community health — says clear evidence now exists to link investment with impact. By turning data into strategic planning, Africa’s leaders are being urged to increase domestic commitment, strengthen partnerships and secure long-term funding for community-based health systems.
The full report is expected to help governments prioritise workforce expansion, improve resource allocation and build resilient health systems capable of protecting Africa’s population from future health threats.
