A recent Afrobarometer report reveals significant challenges faced by many Africans in accessing public services, highlighting issues of disrespectful treatment by service providers.

The report, based on data from 39 African countries, focuses on citizens' experiences with public health facilities, schools, government agencies for identification, and police over the past year.

On average, 58% of adults reported contact with public health care, 34% with public schools, and 33% with agencies providing identity documents, while 45% sought police assistance.

More than a third of respondents reported being treated with little or no respect by identification authorities (39%) and medical staff (36%), indicating systemic issues in service provision.

Respondents who felt disrespected by public service providers were more likely to distrust and disapprove of elected leaders, reflecting broader dissatisfaction with democracy.

In Angola, 46% of respondents felt disrespected by government agencies providing identification, while 48% reported similar feelings in health services.

Mozambique showed comparable results, with 45% feeling disrespected in identification services and 46% in health services.

Conversely, Cape Verde reported the lowest levels of disrespect, with only 9% feeling disrespected in identification services and 17% in health services.

Respondents in São Tomé and Príncipe reported lower percentages of disrespect, particularly in identification services (35%) and health services (30%).

Afrobarometer, a pan-African, non-partisan research network, aims to provide reliable data on the experiences and evaluations of democracy and governance across Africa.

Since its inception in 1999, Afrobarometer has conducted nine survey rounds, with the latest covering 39 countries from 2021 to 2023, using face-to-face interviews.

The report, titled 'Dignity and Respect in Public Services in Africa: An Invisible Factor in the Global Commitment to Leave No One Behind,' assesses various countries, ranking Angola and Mozambique poorly while highlighting Cape Verde's better performance.