Across Africa, heavy debt service now exceeds combined spending on education, health, social protection, and climate initiatives. In many countries this burden equals 2.7 times education budgets, 4.2 times health allocations, and a staggering 54 times climate spending. In Africa specifically, debt costs absorb 55 percent of government expenditure. The imbalance jeopardizes social and environmental investments essential for long-term resilience. Debt restructuring and financial relief remain urgent to safeguard development priorities.