- More than six in 10 Mauritians (63%) say the government is performing “fairly well” or “very well” on improving basic health services, up from 47% since the last Afrobarometer survey in 2022, but still 22 percentage points below assessments recorded in 2012 (Figure 1).
- Four in 10 citizens (41%) report that they or someone in their family went without medical care at least once during the past year, including 14% who say this happened at least “several times” (Figure 2).
- Among respondents who had contact with a public health care facility during the previous year, majorities say they encountered long waiting times (92%), poor facilities (73%), lack of medicines or supplies (70%), and/or an absence of medical personnel (63%) (Figure 3).
- Half of citizens say they worry “somewhat” (29%) or “a lot” (20%) that they or someone in their family will get sick and will be unable to obtain or afford needed medical care, while another 25% say they worry about this “a little” (Figure 4).
- Seven in 10 Mauritians (71%) say parents should be required to have their children vaccinated against infectious diseases, while 28% believe children’s vaccinations should be the parents’ prerogative (Figure 5).
A majority of Mauritians see the government as doing a good job of improving basic health care services, reversing a decade-long decline in public assessments, a new Afrobarometer study reveals.
Improved ratings of the government’s performance may be a response to increased government expenditures credited with the introduction of better medicines and other pharmaceuticals, improved clinical testing capacities, and a growing medical tourism industry.
Yet four in 10 Mauritians say they went without medical care at least once during the past year. Among citizens who had contact with a public clinic or hospital during the same period, majorities report encountering long waiting times, poor facilities, lack of medicines or supplies, and/or an absence of medical personnel.
Half of citizens say they worry about falling ill and being unable to obtain or afford the required medical care.
In order to protect children and the community, a majority of Mauritians say parents should be obligated to have their children vaccinated against infectious diseases such as measles and polio.