Report says up to 80% of health facilities in conflict-affected African areas are not operating

Up to 80 percent of health facilities in conflict-affected areas of Africa have been rendered non-operational by widespread infrastructure destruction, according to a joint report by the Institute for Peace and Security Studies and the United Nations Population Fund.

The report was launched on August 12, 2026, and examined the effect of armed conflict on health systems, with particular attention to reproductive health and services for women and girls. Its findings were reported by The Reporter Ethiopia on August 15.

The collapse or closure of facilities compounds displacement and insecurity by reducing access to routine care as well as urgent services. Women and girls face added risks when reproductive-health care and support for survivors of gender-based violence are interrupted or unavailable.

The report calls for clearer domestic budget commitments for reproductive-health and gender-based-violence services, more flexible emergency financing for displaced women and girls, stronger cross-border cooperation and sustained training for young peace and security advocates.

The figure describes conflict-affected areas rather than the African health system as a whole. The available source item did not provide a country-by-country breakdown, so the scale of disruption may differ substantially between locations.