African leaders and health stakeholders have called for stronger domestic financing, accountability and strategic innovation to transform Africa’s health systems and reduce reliance on external aid.
The call was made at a High-Level Interactive Policy Dialogue convened by the African Renaissance Trust and the Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Foundation in Accra, Ghana, under the theme: “Advancing Africa’s Health Agenda through Domestic Financing, Accountability and Strategic Innovations.”
The dialogue brought together ministers, senior government officials, African Union institutions, Regional Economic Communities, development partners, private sector leaders, academics and global health experts to develop practical solutions for strengthening Africa’s health financing architecture.
Held on the margins of the African Union Extraordinary Summit on Ending AIDS by 2030, Addressing Preventable Maternal Deaths, Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases Endemic to the Continent, and Strengthening Health Systems by 2030, participants stressed the need for a fundamental shift in how the continent finances healthcare.
They noted that 25 years after the adoption of the Abuja Declaration, many African countries still face major financing gaps amid declining development assistance, rising debt burdens, demographic pressures and increasing demand for quality healthcare.
Delivering the keynote address, former President of Tanzania and Founder of the Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Foundation, H.E. Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, urged African leaders to move beyond commitments and focus on implementation.
“Africa has not suffered from a shortage of ideas, strategies or innovations. What Africa needs is implementation. Let us turn commitments into budgets, budgets into programmes, programmes into measurable results, and measurable results into longer, healthier and more productive lives for our people,” he said.
President Kikwete also called for stronger domestic financing, increased investment in primary healthcare, institutionalised accountability, expansion of local pharmaceutical manufacturing and greater regional cooperation to secure Africa’s health future.
Representing Ghana’s Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Deputy Minister of Health, Prof. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to universal health coverage.
She highlighted Ghana’s initiatives, including the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, the Free Primary Healthcare Initiative and investments in local vaccine and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
“Our declarations must be translated into measurable progress in the lives of our people. Ghana remains committed to working with the African Union, our continental institutions and our partners to build health systems that are stronger, more resilient and better prepared for future generations,” she said.
The dialogue featured a panel comprising Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office of the President of Ghana, Hon. Nana Oye Bampoe Addo; Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance, Ms. Joy Phumaphi; President of the Africa Business Council, Dr. Amany Asfour; and former African Union Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, H.E. Prof. Sarah Anyang-Agbor.
The panel emphasised that achieving Universal Health Coverage requires increased domestic reinance and Health, improved public financial management, accountability mechanisms, private sector participation, digital innovation, research, local pharmaceutical production and regional regulatory cooperation through the African Medicines Agency
A major highlight of the dialogue was the unveiling of the African Renaissance Health Financing Insights Dashboard, a continental accountability platform designed to support evidence-based decision-making.
The dashboard will enable governments, policymakers and development partners to track domestic financing commitments, assess national performance, identify financing gaps and improve coordination between Ministries of Health and Ministries of Finance.
Speaking on the platform’s importance, Director of the African Renaissance Trust, Caroline Kwamboka, said the dashboard goes beyond data collection to serve as an accountability mechanism.
“The Health Financing Insights Dashboard is more than a data platform; it is an accountability tool. It equips governments, policymakers and partners with the evidence needed to track commitments, identify financing gaps and ensure that investments in health translate into measurable improvements in the lives of African citizens,” she said.
Participants agreed that Africa’s health future depends on turning commitments into action through sustainable financing, stronger accountability, increased private sector engagement, regional collaboration and accelerated implementation of African-led innovations.
They resolved that the Accra Dialogue should serve as a catalyst for a renewed continental compact on health financing, built on domestic ownership, measurable accountability and strategic innovation.
