African heads of state, meeting on the sidelines of UNGA 80, on Monday, praised President John Dramani Mahama for his recent Africa Health Sovereignty Summit in Accra, recognising it as an important initiative that has revitalised continent-wide discussions on health self-sufficiency and resilience.
The praise for President Mahama’s leadership was given at a meeting of the Committee of Heads of State and Government of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The leaders gathered to discuss urgent issues, including major funding reductions from international partners. The United States, alone, has reportedly cut its health funding to Africa by an estimated £8 billion, along with similar cuts from European nations.
These reductions, they acknowledged, highlight both the vulnerability of Africa’s health systems and an urgent opportunity for the continent to break the cycle of dependency by prioritising domestic investment, fostering transparency, and taking ownership of its health agenda.
The meeting committed to pooling resources to establish regional drug manufacturing hubs, with an ambitious target of meeting at least 60 per cent of Africa’s pharmaceutical demand by 2040.
Drawing inspiration from India’s robust pharmaceutical sector, which has over 10,000 manufacturing companies, the leaders expressed confidence that a united African effort could not only significantly cut drug prices but also generate considerable employment opportunities across the continent.
To facilitate this vision, the leaders agreed to harmonise regulatory frameworks and engage collaboratively with institutions such as GAVI and the World Bank, which have pledged to share their extensive experiences in supply chain management and health infrastructure development.
The Africa CDC outlined its strategic efforts to strengthen the continent’s health resilience, including comprehensive training programmes, the establishment of operational centres, and the deployment of advanced surveillance systems.
These systems incorporate digital tools, extending even to rural areas, to ensure real-time connection for early detection and swift preventive action against the spread of pandemics like Mpox, Dengue Fever, Ebola, Cholera, and other communicable diseases.
President Mahama, whose ‘Accra Reset’ was instrumental in setting the stage for these renewed discussions, also highlighted Ghana’s proactive steps.
He spoke about the government’s interventions, which have uncapped the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), expanding access to healthcare, and the country’s readiness to significantly increase investments in its health sector through the ‘Big Push’ initiative starting next year.
Taking over the chair of the meeting from the Angolan President and African Union Chair, President Mahama called for increased commitment from all member states and urged more direct engagements with potential investors and donors through sustained advocacy.
A resolution was formally adopted, establishing a robust policy framework to drive this ambitious agenda, with key support from GAVI and the WHO Director General, who both committed to revisiting progress at another planned meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
