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News release

Basotho overwhelmingly lack medical aid, support government provision of universal health coverage

28 Oct 2024 Lesotho
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News release
Key findings
  • Only one in 50 Basotho (2%) say they have medical aid coverage (Figure 1). o Among those who don’t have health insurance, six in 10 (60%) say it’s because they can’t afford it (Figure 2).
  • Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Basotho say they worry “somewhat” or “a lot” about obtaining or affording medical care when they need it (Figure 3).
  • Among Basotho who had contact with a public clinic or hospital during the year preceding the survey, majorities report encountering long wait times (74%) and inadequate medical supplies (62%), while more than one-third say they found facilities in poor condition (38%) and absent medical staff (34%) (Figure 4).
  • Three-fourths (74%) of respondents say it was “easy” or “very easy” to get the medical assistance they needed, but only two-thirds (66%) of the poorest citizens agree (Figure 5).
  • Seven in 10 Basotho (71%) say the government should ensure that all citizens have access to adequate health care, even if that means raising taxes (Figure 6). o The demand for universal health care is stronger in rural areas than in cities (75% vs. 68%). Citizens with post-secondary education are less likely to consider universal health care a government responsibility (62% vs. 71%-74% among those with less education), as are the poorest respondents compared to their better-off counterparts (67% vs. 72%-73%).

Medical aid coverage is extremely limited among the Basotho population: Only one in 50  adults say they have insurance that helps pay their medical bills if they get sick, a new  Afrobarometer survey reveals. 

Almost two-thirds of citizens say they worry about being able to obtain or afford medical  care when they need it. Most Basotho endorse universal access to health care.  

Among those who had contact with a public clinic or hospital during the past year, three quarters report that it was easy to obtain the medical assistance they needed, but many say  they encountered problems such as long wait times, a lack of medicine or supplies, facilities  in poor condition, and absent medical personnel.