A NEW Pan-African report compiled by Afrobarometer, an Accra-based inter-university survey network, indicates that many Africans face significant challenges when trying to access public services, including healthcare, education, identity documents and police assistance, with a high level of disrespect encountered in these interactions.

A summary of the report circulated online yesterday highlighted findings on surveyed experiences of Africans who sought services over the past year, covering a range of most sought after public services.

The report, which draws on data from 39 countries, shows that a large portion of the population finds it difficult to access essential services, while many also report being treated disrespectfully by public service providers.

Up to 58 percent of respondents interacted with public healthcare facilities, 34 percent engaged with public schools and 33 percent sought identity documents from government agencies. Over 40 percent of people also sought assistance from the police, it said.

The data paints a grim picture, with nearly half of those who sought services encountering significant challenges, with 49 percent of respondents who sought identity documents relating such difficulties. This was also true of 46percent who requested police assistance, and 45 percent who sought medical care, with similar difficulties in obtaining the services they needed.

"This struggle is not just about inconvenience but highlights a deep frustration with systems that are often inaccessible or inefficient," the report states, noting that 39 percent of those who sought identity documents felt disrespected by the authorities.

Up to 36 percent of those who interacted with medical staff experienced similar disrespect, while the police emerged as a key source of frustration, with 34 percent of respondents reporting that “officers rarely, if ever, operated professionally or respected citizens’ rights.”

"This lack of professionalism and respect from law enforcement undermines citizens' trust in public institutions and their sense of safety," the report intoned.

The Afrobarometer data also shows a worrying trend, where those who feel disrespected by public service providers are more likely to distrust their leaders, express dissatisfaction with democracy, and show less support for democratic governance.

The report points at pervasive drawbacks in public service provision across Africa, with a combined difficulty in accessing services and the disrespect people face contributing to a growing sense of disillusionment, which erodes trust in formal democratic institutions.

A crucial challenge for African governments is to improve accessibility, efficiency and respect in public services as vital to rebuilding trust and strengthening democracy across the continent, the statement added.