Your Excellency Ambassador Kaire Mbuende representing Her Excellency the President,
Honourable Esperance Luvindao,
Honourable Ministers from the region present here today,
My brother Jean Kaseya, dear colleagues and friends,
Good morning, it’s an honour to be with you here in Windhoek, Namibia – the land of the brave.
I thank Her Excellency the President, and the government and people of Namibia, for their great hospitality and for co-hosting this meeting with Africa CDC.
My thanks also to my brother Dr Jean Kaseya for his leadership and partnership, especially in the fight against the ongoing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
As you know, the Africa CDC is personal to me, and I call the Africa CDC my daughter, and Dr Jean Kaseya is taking care of my daughter, and I appreciate him for his excellent leadership.
The Ebola epidemic is a reminder that a threat to one country is a threat to all –and that resilient, self-reliant systems, and regional solidarity, are our best protection.
Over the past 25 years, Africa has made remarkable progress in health.
Life expectancy has increased by more than 10 years – the biggest gain of any region.
Maternal mortality has dropped by more than one third;
Child mortality has fallen by more than half;
And the epidemics of HIV, malaria and tuberculosis have all been pushed back.
In short, the people of Africa are living longer and healthier lives than ever before. This is cause for celebration.
But one thing that Ambassador Linda indicated earlier, and which I fully agree with, is that the health indicators of SADC are actually relatively better than many regions in our continent.
This is not without reason, because there is better stability in this region. If you check the average democracy index, this region is the highest compared to any region in our continent.
So stability brings better indicators in terms of health outcomes. That’s why we say peace is the best medicine. I hope, in terms of democracy and freedom, other regions in our continent can learn from this region. You can go and look at the indicators, it’s very clear.
So thank you for raising this, Ambassador Linda.
Of course, while the progress is there, we also know that our continent still faces serious challenges:
The growing burden of noncommunicable diseases and mental health disorders;
The ever-present threat of outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics;
The health impacts of climate change and pollution;
The threat of antimicrobial resistance;
Inequitable access to health services and products;
And more.
All these challenges have been made harder by sudden and steep cuts to international financing for health.
For the past 18 months, WHO has been supporting countries to navigate this disruption and sustain essential health services, because the reduction in ODA is, according to indicators for 2025, close to 40%.
Many African leaders have seen the crisis for what it is: an opportunity to leave behind the era of aid dependency and to realise the long-held dream of African health sovereignty.
Seeing the crisis as an opportunity, to change the mindset.
The theme of this meeting includes three of the key foundations of that future.
First, domestic financing.
The most efficient and equitable
Private and philanthropic capital matter, but they can only complement public financing– they cannot replace it.
Countries can raise new revenue through health taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks, and spend it better through pooled procurement and stronger budget execution.
I commend Namibia for becoming the first country to join the Africa CDC Pooled Procurement Mechanism, which will help to create economies of scale, reduce prices and ensure safety.
Second, national health insurance.
No country has achieved universal health coverage through out-of-pocket spending or external aid.
Publicly-financed insurance pools risk, protects families from catastrophic costs, and delivers care based on need, not the ability to pay.
For instance, Rwanda’s Community Based Health Insurance scheme now covers 90% of the population;
And using domestic re primary health care, expanding coverage and improving efficiency
I also commend Namibia for the progress it has made just this year on a draft Universal Health Coverage Bill.
This is what sovereignty looks like.
Third, local manufacturing.
The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that when production is concentrated in a few countries, the rest wait at the back of the queue.
Expanding national and regional production of medicines, vaccines and diagnostics is essential – not only for health security, but for jobs, innovation and economic growth.
The private sector is a vital partner in building this capacity across Africa.
WHO is committed to supporting you at every step.
We are strengthening national regulatory authorities, and we have supported the operationalization of the African Medicines Agency – a game changer for our continent – both technically and financially.
We work hand in hand with Africa CDC, as I said earlier, whose leadership under Dr Kaseya is central to Africa’s health security and sovereignty.
Your Excellencies, honourable ministers,
These are three of the key ways our continent will turn the dream of health sovereignty into reality:
Reduce out-of-pocket health spending, including through publicly-funded national health insurance;
And invest in local manufacturing systems.
Because ultimately, health is not a cost to be contained.
It is an investment to be nurtured – in people, in stability, and in the Africa we all want: a healthier, safer, fairer Africa.
I thank you.
