By Sizwe Dlamini
The Health Labour Market Analysis for Eswatini report has revealed that wages and salaries constitute approximately 30% to 33% of the health sector expenditure in Eswatini.
This percentage is notably lower than the East and Southern African (ESA) average of 49% and the African regional average of 45%, as well as the global average of 57%.
This figure, while crucial for workforce support, positions Eswatini below the regional and global averages, indicating both challenges and opportunities in healthcare expenditure management and service delivery.
The report which is supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) further highlights that in 2022, the financial space allocated to health workforce wages and salaries was USD 58.5 million, (E 913,800,000) with projections indicating an increase to USD 69 million (E1,074,000,000) by 2030.
Government funding, a significant component of this financial allocation, was set at USD 45.6 million (E 710,160,000.) in 2022, expected to rise to USD 53.7 million (E 837,720,000) by 2032.
The private sector also contributes, with USD 12.9 million (E 200,640,000) allocated in 2022, projected to increase to USD 15 million (E 234,000,000) by 2032.
Meanwhile, in addressing Income and Expenditure Dynamics of Health Workers, the average income for health workers in Eswatini stands at E 23,763 (approximately USD 1,287), while their average monthly expenditure is reported to be E9 974.40 or USD 639.
For health workers considering relocation for better opportunities, the desired income threshold to be retained in Eswatini is E 33,183 (approximately USD 1,751).
This highlights a retention gap of E 9,419 (USD 464), highlighting the need for targeted strategies to enhance retention rates among health professionals in the kingdom.
Additionally, there is a glaring inequity whereby 77% of the population is living in rural areas but has access to only 23% of healthcare workers
There is distributional inequity in the health workforce between rural and urban areas, 55% of the health workers work in urban areas, whereas there was only 23% of the population.
This results in 77% of the population who live in rural areas being served by 45% of the health workers.