African heads of state, meeting on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly on Monday, commended President John Dramani Mahama for hosting the recent Africa Health Sovereignty Summit in Accra, describing it as a timely initiative that has reinvigorated continent-wide dialogue on health self-sufficiency and resilience.
The commendation came during a meeting of the Committee of Heads of State and Government of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The leaders discussed pressing challenges, particularly major funding reductions from international partners.
The United States alone has reportedly slashed health funding to Africa by an estimated £8 billion, with similar cutbacks from European nations.
Acknowledging that these reductions expose the fragility of Africa’s health systems, the leaders stressed that they also present a critical opportunity for the continent to break free from dependency.
They called for prioritising domestic investment, strengthening transparency, and taking ownership of Africa’s health agenda.
Among the commitments made was a pledge to pool resources to establish regional drug manufacturing hubs, targeting the production of at least 60 percent of Africa’s pharmaceutical needs by 2040.
Drawing inspiration from India’s pharmaceutical industry, home to more than 10,000 manufacturing firms.
The leaders said Africa could similarly lower drug costs while creating significant employment opportunities.
To achieve this vision, the meeting resolved to harmonise regulatory frameworks and engage closely with global partners such as GAVI and the World Bank, both of which have pledged to share expertise in supply chain management and health infrastructure.
The Africa CDC presented its strategies to enhance health resilience, including comprehensive training programmes, new operational centres, and advanced surveillance systems.
These digital tools are designed to extend even into rural areas, ensuring real-time detection and rapid response to outbreaks of Mpox, Dengue Fever, Ebola, Cholera, and other communicable diseases.
President Mahama, whose “Accra Reset” helped lay the groundwork for the renewed push, outlined Ghana’s proactive measures.
He cited the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to expand access to care, alongside the government’s readiness to scale up investments through the “Big Push” initiative beginning next year.
Taking over the chairmanship of the meeting from the Angolan President and AU Chair, Mahama urged member states to show greater commitment and deepen direct engagement with investors and donors through sustained advocacy.
A resolution was adopted to establish a comprehensive policy framework to drive this ambitious agenda.
Both GAVI and the WHO Director-General pledged continued support and agreed to review progress at a follow-up meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Source: myxyzonline.com/ Wisdom Hedezome
