From development to sustained crisis: Structural adjustment, equity and health

It is argued that the nature of the economic crises in sub-Saharan Africa cannot be understood outside the context of the legacy of colonialism and class formation, and social scientists must take a stand against the current policies that have led to an unprecedented decline of the health status of the poor.

Abstract

We argue that the nature of the economic crises in sub-Saharan Africa cannot be understood outside the context of the legacy of colonialism and class formation. Structural adjustment programmes serve to exacerbate inequalities and threaten to reverse the social gains of the majority achieved through the struggle for independence, in the interest of the indigenous capitalist class. Under such circumstances social scientists have a social responsibility to take a stand against the current policies that have led to an unprecedented decline of the health status of the poor; their skills must be put at the disposal of the oppressed with a view to giving voice to the experiences and needs of the majority.