A mere 51% of the African population holds the belief that their respective governments are adequately prepared to handle a potential public health crisis akin to the COVID-19 pandemic.


A significant proportion of African citizens express a desire for increased governmental investment in preparedness measures for potential health emergencies, even if it may result in a reduction in resources allocated to other healthcare services, as indicated by surveys conducted by Afrobarometer.

Health is recognized as the second most critical issue requiring governmental intervention among African citizens. However, only half of them believe that their respective governments are adequately prepared to address future public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared mpox a global public health emergency of international concern. In response to the surge in mpox cases observed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and several other African countries, the WHO has emphasized the necessity for coordinated international action.

Most important problems for government to address
(Source: Afrobarometer)

Government preparedness for future health emergencies
(Source: Afrobarometer)

More investment to prepare for future health emergencies?
(Source: Afrobarometer)

Key findings

  • Health-related issues (29%) rank second among the most important problems that Africans want their governments to address, following unemployment (33%) (Figure 1).
  • Only half (51%) of Africans believe that their government is “somewhat” or “very” prepared for a future public health emergency like COVID-19 (Figure 2).
  • Fewer than one-fourth of citizens in Cabo Verde (24%), Lesotho (21%), and Gabon (15%) think their government is ready to deal with a pandemic (Figure 2).
  • Almost six in 10 Africans (58%) “agree” or “strongly agree” that their government should invest more in preparations for future health emergencies like COVID-19, even if it means fewer resources are available for other health services (Figure 3).
  • Three-fourths or more of citizens support greater investment in pandemic preparedness in Liberia (82%), Tanzania (75%), and Ethiopia (75%).
  • But majorities in Gabon (70%) and Congo-Brazzaville (55%) disagree.

Afrobarometer surveys

Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that offers reliable data on African experiences and assessments of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Nine survey rounds in up to 42 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 9 surveys (2021/2023) cover 39 countries.

Afrobarometer’s national partners conduct in-person interviews in the language of the respondent’s choosing. National samples of 1,200-2,400 yield country-level results with margins of error of +/-2 to +/-3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.