The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South constituency Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, has charged African parliamentarians to enact and enforce laws that confront health injustice across the continent.
Delivering a keynote address at the 5th Federation of African Law Students (FALAS) Continental Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the topic “Legislating for Health Justice: Advancing Universal Health Coverage in the Pan-African Context, Dr. Agyemang said the journey toward achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) must be anchored in laws that guarantee equality, accountability, and access for every citizen.
He warned that the future of public health in Africa depends not only on the construction of hospitals but on the strength of the laws that govern who can enter them.
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The Abuakwa South legislator cited a young mother who had walked more than six kilometres to reach the nearest health centre, only to find that the nurse on duty had no delivery kit to assist her.
According to the MP, the woman wrapped her newborn in her own scarf and whispered that she was grateful her baby had survived.
For Dr. Agyemang, this moment was a painful reminder that, in many parts of Africa, giving life remains a dangerous journey.
“That encounter taught me that legislation must not only allocate funds; it must protect dignity,” he said. “When a mother walks that far to give life, society must walk even further to make that life thrive.”
He described the story as a mirror reflecting the realities of many African families’ where people live far from health centres, survive without reliable medical supplies, and endure the consequences of inadequate policies.
“No woman should risk her life or her baby’s life because of a missing delivery kit,” he added, his voice echoing through the hall of the African Union Headquarters.
“Health justice must not remain a dream it must become a legislative duty,” he added.
Dr. Agyemang urged lawmakers across the continent to move beyond rhetoric and commit to comprehensive legal reforms that make healthcare equitable, accessible, and truly universal.
The MP argued that it is not enough, to build hospitals and announce reforms, but rather nations must build systems that ensure no patient is turned away because of poverty, geography, or governance failures.
“Health injustice anywhere in Africa threatens the dignity of all Africans,” he said, calling for a continental approach that harmonizes national health laws and aligns them with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and Africa Health Strategy.
He further argued that African parliaments must strengthen their oversight functions to ensure that health budgets and policies produce measurable impact.
Oversight, he said, is the conscience of democracy the means by which citizens’ voices are amplified and governments are held accountable.
“Laws without monitoring are empty promises. When parliaments demand transparency, when they insist that budgets reflect real human needs, then justice moves from paper to people.”
He also underscored the importance of sustainable health financing and capacity building, insisting that every African government should dedicate a fixed portion of its annual budget to health infrastructure, preventive medicine, and community health initiatives. But financing alone is not enough trained personnel must be available to deliver services, particularly in rural and underserved regions.
“The distance between a rural clinic and an urban hospital can mean the difference between life and death,” he observed. “Equity begins when we close that gap.”
Dr. Agyemang further urged African parliaments to collaborate beyond their borders by creating inter-parliamentary platforms that share legislative tools, data, and best practices. Such cooperation, he said, would accelerate the continent’s progress toward universal health access and reduce duplication of effort.
“When nations share knowledge and innovation, no community is left behind,” he remarked.
He however commended African Union in promoting health integration through the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the African Medicines Agency, urging countries to adopt shared standards that would make access to safe and affordable healthcare a reality across the continent.
Source: www.Kumasimail/Kwadwo Owusu
