Africa is the most impoverished continent in the world, with economic insecurity, political instability and disease worsening the hardships and exacerbating the inequality faced by its population. However, while these economic and social challenges can paint a bleak picture, many organizations and campaigns are dedicated to tackling inequality in Africa. For example, the organization ONE is dedicated to improving the lives of those living in the region using a combination of resources to drive policies that create essential and lasting change.

ONE

ONE is a global, strictly nonpartisan organization that uses activism, expert data and analysis and public campaigning to pressure lawmakers to support essential policies for Africa. Bono, lead singer of U2, co-founded ONE and its sister organization RED in 2004. Since then, ONE has secured $1 trillion in investments and taken 25 million actions to create more economic opportunities and improve the lives and health of those living in Africa.

ONE’s recent work focused on the reauthorisation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the Development Finance Corporation.

Economic Insecurity

Africa is the second-fastest-growing region in the world in 2025, with the African Development Bank predicting a 4.3% growth rate in the economy. However, there are still 464 million people living in poverty on the continent. Furthermore, there has been a slight decrease in the number of people living in extreme poverty (less than $3 a day) in the last few years in some regions.

For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, 46% of the population faced extreme poverty last year, a slight decrease from 46.4% in 2022. However, these persistently high rates can be partly attributed to widespread economic insecurity. According to the U.N. Trade and Development, the “high debt, trade imbalances and inflation” experienced by some countries in Africa lead to more vulnerable economies and, therefore, higher poverty rates.

Economic insecurity is, of course, an extremely concerning and pressing issue and has been exacerbated by the recent reduction in foreign aid. A spokesperson from ONE states that “U.S. foreign aid cuts have been devastating to the African continent.” They explain that “when donor countries step back, domestic governments pay more to borrow, forcing painful trade-offs in national budgets.”

This ultimately results in reduced workforce capacity, slower economic growth and continued inequality. However, the ONE Campaign is tackling inequality in Africa by supporting “economic development policies that empower partnership, trade, power access and entrepreneurship between Africa and the global economy.” These efforts offer hope for a more economically stable future for the continent.

Health

Health care infrastructure across Africa often fails to meet population needs because of chronic underfunding. High disease rates place even greater strain on these systems, causing the most vulnerable to suffer disproportionately, deepening poverty and slowing economic growth as the workforce weakens. While many diseases remain pressing issues in Africa, the rising rates of HIV/AIDS are among the most alarming.

According to UNAIDS, 5.2 million people in Central and Western Africa and 240,000 people in the Middle East and North Africa were living with HIV in 2024. ONE’s spokesperson says the recent foreign aid cuts have placed additional strain on Africa’s health care systems, particularly amid the resurgence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. According to them, the cuts have led to reduced disease testing and tracing, long delays in accessing medications and support and limited communication to rural and other vulnerable communities.

They also report a rise in babies born with HIV and an increase in HIV-related deaths. However, according to ONE, while Africa urgently needs stronger health care infrastructure, hope lies in the continent’s growing innovation. One major breakthrough, according to ONE’s spokesperson, is a game-changing HIV drug, lenacapavir, which has shown nearly 100% effectiveness in preventing transmission.

They add that with sustained global investment, this drug has the potential to help end the epidemic. To continue tackling inequality in Africa, it is clear that while the continent is not short on health innovations, it urgently needs consistent funding to sustain progress and improve lives.

The Future

Speaking regarding the future, ONE’s spokesperson states, “Africa is an incredibly diverse continent. Every country and every region within each country faces its own unique challenges, which must be addressed through political, cultural and socially relevant lenses,” rather than grouping all countries under a single “challenge set.” ONE is working to move perception away from a generalist view and challenge “prevailing negative stereotypes…that suggest Africa is ‘bad for investment,'” instead highlighting the promise and opportunities that investment in Africa can bring.

By supporting organizations like ONE in addressing inequality, there is hope for stronger public health systems, greater economic opportunities and reduced poverty across the continent.

– Victoria Adrados

Victoria is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr