President John Dramani Mahama has called for renewed commitment to achieving health sovereignty in Africa as he pledges support to President Samia Suluhu Hassan in her role as African Union Champion for Maternal and Child Health.
President Mahama says Health sovereignty means little if healthcare cannot reach those who need it most especially those in conflicted affected zones and those in vulnerable states.
“Health sovereignty means little if healthcare cannot reach those who need it most. We cannot allow war and instability to destroy our health gains or deny vulnerable populations access to essential care” he said.
Speaking the opening of the African Union Extraordinary Summit on Health at the Alisa Hotel in Accra on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, President Mahama said Ghana is leading this chat by example through the Accra Reset Initiative.
“In Ghana, we have already introduced several practical initiatives that support this vision. One of them is the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as Mahama Cares, which is protecting families from the devastating financial burden of chronic diseases” President Mahama emphasized.
The AU Extraordinary Summit on Health is under the theme: “Advancing Justice, Equity and Universal Health Coverage: Ending AIDS, TB, Improving Maternal Health, Addressing Endemic Non-Communicable and Neglected Tropical Diseases and Conditions in Africa”.
The summit brought together African Heads of State, policymakers, health experts, development partners and key stakeholders to map up a united course towards achieving equitable and accessible healthcare for all Africans.
The summit seeks to galvanize political commitment and accelerate collective action to end AIDS and tuberculosis by 2030, reduce preventable maternal and child deaths, tackle the growing burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and strengthen resilient health systems across the continent.
Oh his part, Director General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus lauded African for the stride in curbing HIV and AIDS and other related diseases.
“Africa has made remarkable progress in the fight against HIV, with new infections declining by 40 per cent since 2010. However, despite this progress, Africa continues to carry the highest burden of HIV globally, and declining external financing for health threatens to reverse some of the gains we have achieved” Dr. Ghebreyesus explained.
He further added that policy formulation must receive the needed political will to protect funeral groups.
“Our policies must protect the most vulnerable members of society, including women, children and communities affected by conflict. We must also establish strong accountability systems because a declaration is only as effective as the actions and commitments that follow it” he intimated.
After the summit, policy makers will outdoor the Accra Declaration to ensure strict implementation.
