Effects of Medical Tourism on Health Systems in Africa.

Abstract

Medical tourism is the travel of people in search of medical care that is either, unavailable, unaffordable or proscribed at home healthcare systems. This is due to varying bioethical considerations for some medical procedures and technologies, high healthcare costs, and unequal accessibility to quality healthcare. This paper presents evidence of MT in Africa and critically discusses its role and effects on the region’s healthcare systems. The systematic scoping review design guided by Arksey and O’Malley (2005) framework was used. Pre-determined exclusion/inclusion criteria were used to identify literature sources. 52 reviewed articles dwelt generally on the role and effects of MT on the structures, processes and system outcomes components of health systems in Africa, although only 14 (27%) of them solely focused on Africa. Although MT provides access to healthcare locally unavailable or unaffordable, it nevertheless disrupts the Dawson healthcare delivery model common in Africa and its usual referral system, while competing for scarce healthcare resources in the region. Africa experiences both in- and out-bound and intra-regional MT. Findings point to a contradiction to the commonly held belief limiting MT to the elites in society, and show that majority of MT activities in Africa are need-based rather than elitebased. African governments increasingly promote MT, although MT tends to compete in coexistence with, instead of being integral part of, national healthcare systems. MT affects both personal and population health, and if appropriately integrated into national healthcare systems, can complement and supplement both home and destination systems.

Keywords

• Medical tourism
• Africa
• health provision