Accra, July 22, GNA – African leaders and health policy advocates have called for greater domestic financing, stronger accountability systems and strategic innovation to secure the continent’s health future amid declining international donor support.
The call was made at a High-Level Interactive Policy Dialogue on advancing Africa’s health agenda through domestic financing, accountability and strategic innovation, held ahead of the African Union Extraordinary Summit on Health in Accra.
Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang through a statement delivered on her behalf by Dr Professor Grace Ayensu-Danquah, the Deputy Minister of Health, said changing global financing dynamics required African countries to strengthen their capacity to finance and manage their own health priorities.
She noted that 25 years after the Abuja Declaration, which committed African countries to allocate at least 15 per cent of national budgets to health, the continent must take stock of progress and chart a sustainable path forward.
“Official development assistance is less certain, and long-standing funding models are changing. Programmes that many health systems have relied on can no longer be taken for granted,” she said.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang stressed that health should not be viewed merely as a social expenditure but as a critical investment in economic growth and human development.
She highlighted Ghana’s efforts toward Universal Health Coverage through the National Health Insurance Scheme and recent flagship interventions, including the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as “Mahama Cares”, and the Free Primary Health Care Initiative.
According to her, the Trust Fund was established to provide financial support for patients suffering from chronic non-communicable diseases inadequately covered under the NHIS while also supporting specialist training, research and medical infrastructure.
The Vice President said the Free Primary Health Care Initiative would expand access to preventive healthcare services, including screenings for hypertension, diabetes and certain cancers, particularly in underserved communities.
She also disclosed that Government had invested US$50 million in the National Vaccine Institute to strengthen local vaccine and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Ambassador Amma Twum-Amoah, the AU Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, described the dialogue as timely, noting that its outcomes would help shape discussions at the upcoming AU Extraordinary Summit on Health.
She said Africa’s health future must be financed sustainably, governed accountably and transformed through innovation.
“Health expenditure is not merely a social cost. It is a strategic investment in human capital, economic growth, national security and resilience,” she stated.
The Ambassador urged member states to increase domestic investment in health, improve public expenditure efficiency and strengthen accountability systems to ensure re
She recalled the 2019 Addis Ababa Commitment on health financing, which calls for stronger domestic reountability mechanisms across the continent
“No African should be forced to choose between seeking healthcare and feeding their family,” she said.
Ambassador Twum-Amoah also advocated responsible use of digital technologies, artificial intelligence and integrated data systems to strengthen healthcare delivery while protecting equity and inclusion.
Dr Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Former Tanzanian President, delivering the keynote address, said Africa could no longer depend heavily on foreign aid for health financing.
He cited recent statistics indicating a significant reduction in official development assistance and external health funding, underscoring the urgency for African countries to mobilise domestic re
“Africa must increasingly finance, manufacture and secure its own health future,” he stated.
Dr Kikwete expressed concern over persistently high maternal mortality rates across Africa, noting that nearly 70 per cent of global maternal deaths occurred on the continent despite the availability of proven interventions.
He highlighted Tanzania’s experience, where evidence-based investments and collaboration among health professionals contributed to a dramatic reduction in maternal mortality.
The former President said health financing should ultimately be measured by outcomes that citizens experience.
“People are concerned about whether medicines are available, whether health workers are present and whether facilities can provide the services they need,” he said.
Participants at the dialogue called for partnerships among governments, the private sector, civil society and development partners to build resilient health systems capable of responding to current and future challenges.
