THE ORGANISATION of Trade Unions of West Africa (OTUWA) has announced a bold regional campaign against political medical tourism under the slogan: “Our Leaders Must Use Our Hospitals.”
The resolution for the campaign was passed during a research dissemination workshop organised by OTUWA with support from the Solidarity Center, bringing together over thirty trade union leaders and activists from across West Africa.
The workshop, held virtually, highlighted how medical tourism disproportionately benefits political and economic elites while draining critical resources needed to strengthen local healthcare systems.
Participants noted that the trend not only undermines public health infrastructure but also demoralises healthcare workers, fuelling brain drain as professionals seek better opportunities abroad.
Trade unions reaffirmed their crucial role in advocating for increased public investment in healthcare, transparency in health budgeting, and government accountability.
They resolved to spearhead a sustained campaign to pressure leaders to prioritise domestic healthcare and curb the exodus of public funds for overseas medical treatment.
“Healthcare Apartheid Must End” – OTUWA Executive Secretary
In his opening remarks, OTUWA Executive Secretary, Comrade John Odah, sounded the alarm on the deepening crisis caused by unchecked medical tourism in West Africa.
“Medical tourism, as currently practiced, is not merely a symptom of failing health systems — it is a direct contributor to structural poverty and inequality,” Odah declared.
He added: “When public officials and elites routinely seek treatment abroad, they abandon their duty to improve the very healthcare systems that ordinary citizens rely on.”
Odah condemned what he described as a “two-tiered healthcare system” that entrenches inequality, where quality medical care remains a privilege for the wealthy while the majority suffer in underfunded and overburdened local hospitals.
“This is nothing short of healthcare apartheid,” he asserted, “a system that violates the principles of social justice and equal opportunity that trade unions stand for.”
Odah also warned that the diversion of public funds for private overseas treatment erodes trust in governance.
“Democracy cannot thrive when leaders do not depend on the same public services as the people they serve,” he said.
Call for Immediate Reforms
OTUWA outlined key demands, including, transparent health budgeting and increased public investment in domestic healthcare infrastructure; strict regulation and reporting of government-funded overseas medical travel and inclusive health policies ensuring access and dignity for all citizens.
“Healthcare is not a commodity for the wealthy — it is a fundamental human right,” Odah emphasised. “If we are to combat poverty, reduce inequality, and preserve democracy in West Africa, we must end this double standard in healthcare,” he stressed.
Solidarity Center Pledges Support
The Solidarity Center, a key partner in the initiative, reaffirmed its commitment to backing trade union campaigns for health and democracy in the region.
Speaking through Senior Programme Officer, Ralph Gabin, Country Programme Director for West Africa, Deddeh Tulay, pledged ongoing support for efforts to hold leaders accountable and strengthen public healthcare systems.
The campaign signals a growing pushback against elite medical tourism, with trade unions vowing to mobilise workers and civil society to demand systemic change.
As West Africa grapples with healthcare disparities, the message is clear: leaders must invest in local hospitals — and use them.
Meanwhile the research, entitled: “Medical Tourism As Workers and Citizens ‘See’ It in West Africa” by Adagbo Onoja of School of International Relations, University of St Andrews, United Kingdom, highlights the growing controversy surrounding medical tourism in West Africa.
The research revealed deep impact of medical tourism on healthcare inequality and democratic governance in the subregion.
The study, which spans seven countries including Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia, exposes how elite reliance on foreign medical care drains public resources while local health systems crumble.
Key findings of the research indicate that in Nigeria loses an estimated 1 billion monthly to medical tourism, with top military officials receiving up to $USD20,000 (31,084,000) annually for treatments abroad, a figure which critics argue could revitalize local hospitals.
The report also found that Togo and Ghana face severe doctor shortages and dilapidated facilities, forcing even the wealthy into precarious health lotteries. In Togo, patients have died due to inadequate care in understaffed hospitals.
The report indicate that Liberia’s post-conflict health system struggles with corruption, as elites exploit public funds for overseas treatments, leaving the poor without basic care.
According to the research, workers and civil society groups are calling for bans on medical tourism, increased health budgets (meeting the AU’s 15% target), and grassroots “community hut” clinics to bridge access gaps.
The research report alluded to expert opinion holding that the “elite’s vote of no confidence in local healthcare perpetuates a cycle of neglect and brain drain.”
The research underscores the urgent need for policy reforms to prioritize equitable healthcare and curb the exodus of resources — and trust — from West Africa’s public health systems.
