UNI Care unions in Africa unite to tackle continent’s challenges

UNI Care affiliates from across Africa held their first regional meeting in late October. The gathering in Accra, Ghana, brought together health and care union leaders from Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius and Zimbabwe to build a shared strategy to take on the most pressing issues for the tens-of-thousands-of workers they represent.

The need for unity and strong union representation among health and care workers has become urgent across much of Africa as countries face:

• An aging population with a corresponding rise in chronic diseases;
• The ongoing privatization of public health and social security systems;
• The rapid integration of technology and artificial intelligence in healthcare provision;
• A critical shortage of health and care staff to meet growing demands;
• Emigration of care workers, exacerbating staff shortages.

Against this backdrop, the unions focused on strategies to build power through organizing and to ensure health and care workers are not only heard but are central in shaping policy dialogues and decision-making processes.

“This meeting is an important step in organizing and amplifying the voices of those on the front lines of healthcare across Africa,” said Keith Jacobs, Regional Secretary of UNI Africa. “Although we come from different countries and communities, many of our problems, like the staffing crisis, are the same. Care workers are vital to keeping our communities healthy, and their voices are essential to fixing the problems in care. By coming together in UNI Care, we can better coordinate and advocate in our region.”

A highlight of the meeting was the visit to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, where participants drew inspiration from the legacy of the prominent Pan-African leader. One of Nkrumah’s powerful messages particularly resonated with the group: “The forces for unity far outweigh those which divide us. There is no time to waste because we are running against time in Africa. We must unite now or perish.”