Africa: Caution urged in removal of user fees

"User fees are once again a topic of hot policy debate in Africa," write the authors of this article from the British Medical Journal. "They were introduced relatively recently in many countries, but the current call is for their removal, particularly at primary care level. As analysts who have consistently argued against user fees, we broadly support this call. However, we recognise that this action cannot be introduced overnight and, if weakly implemented, may exacerbate the problems facing African health systems."