Free At Last: An Introspective Guide into the Embedded Roots of Colonialism in the Current State of Healthcare in Ghana

Abstract

The current state of healthcare in Africa is disastrous, especially when compared to that of Western societies. Statistics show that people are dying young and experiencing disability at an exponentially higher rate in Africa than people in Western society. The root of this inequality is attributed to multiple sources. Some speculate that this inequality is due to the state of Africa itself. The weak economy and corrupt leadership must have created these health issues in Africa. Others argue it is due to the lack of development of the African society. Underfunded social services, the lack of infrastructure, and the depletion of human and material resources play a role in the health disparities. These speculations scratch at the surface of issues of inequality in Africa but fail to address the underlying causes. These factors play a role in the lackluster healthcare system in Africa and are negatively affecting the health of Africans. It is evident that the ills of the healthcare system are caused not by Africans themselves but rather by the system of colonialism that is exploiting and depriving Africa continuously through corruption, the lack of self-agency, and the idolization of Western culture. This article will examine the roots of colonialism embedded in the healthcare system in one country, Ghana, to model methods of change for the rest of the continent. Inequality is a radical force in society and can only be solved through radical means. Solutions to jumpstart the healthcare system in Ghana, and Africa as a whole, are necessary to release the ties of colonialism from Africa that exacerbate inequality in the healthcare system.