The <a href="https://absafricatv.com/who-will-pay-to-belong-to-south-africa/” title=”Who will pay to belong to South Africa?”>African Renaissance Trust (and Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Foundation (JMKF), convened a High-Level Interactive Policy Dialogue under the theme “Advancing Africa’s Health Agenda through Domestic Financing, Accountability and Strategic Innovations.” Bringing together Ministers, senior government officials, African Union institutions, Regional Economic Communities, development partners, private sector leaders, academia and global health experts, the Dialogue advanced practical solutions to strengthen Africa’s health financing architecture and accelerate implementation of continental health commitments.
The Dialogue was convened 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.
Held at a defining moment for Africa’s health sector, participants agreed that the continent must fundamentally rethink how it finances health. Twenty-five years after African Union Member States adopted the Abuja Declaration, many countries continue to face significant financing gaps while navigating declining development assistance, rising debt burdens, demographic pressures and increasing demand for quality healthcare. Participants emphasized that health is not merely a social cost but a strategic investment in human capital, economic growth, productivity, national security and resilience. They further stressed that Africa must strengthen domestic resource mobilization, institutional accountability and strategic innovation to reduce dependence on external aid and achieve sustainable health systems.
Delivering the keynote address, H.E. Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Former President of the United Republic of Tanzania and Founder of the Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Foundation, challenged African leaders to move beyond declarations toward measurable 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.”
President Kikwete further underscored that the historical model of heavy reliance on external aid is no longer sustainable, calling on African governments to strengthen domestic financing, invest in primary healthcare, institutionalize accountability, expand local pharmaceutical manufacturing and leverage regional cooperation to secure Africa’s health future.
Representing H.E. Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Prof. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, Deputy Minister of Health, reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to universal health coverage and highlighted the country’s flagship 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.”
The High-level Policy Dialogue featured a distinguished panel comprising; Hon. Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office of the President of Ghana; Ms. Joy Phumaphi, Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance; Dr. Amany Asfour, President of the Africa Business Council; and H.E. Prof. Sarah Anyang-Agbor, former Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation of the African Union Commission.
The panel underscored that achieving Universal Health Coverage requires stronger domestic resource mobilization, closer collaboration between Ministries of Finance and Ministries of Health, improved public financial management, stronger accountability mechanisms, increased private sector participation, and greater investment in digital technologies, research, local pharmaceutical manufacturing and regional regulatory cooperation through the African Medicines Agency. Participants agreed that accountability should ultimately be measured by improved health outcomes rather than financial allocations alone.
A major highlight of the Dialogue was the unveiling of the African Renaissance Health Financing Insights Dashboard, an innovative continental accountability platform designed to strengthen evidence-based decision-making. The dashboard enables governments, policymakers and development partners to monitor domestic financing commitments, benchmark national performance, identify financing gaps and strengthen coordination between Ministries of Health and Ministries of Finance. By transforming health financing data into actionable intelligence, the platform is expected to enhance transparency, improve accountability and support more effective policy implementation across Africa.
Speaking on the significance of the platform, Caroline Kwamboka, Director of the African Renaissance Trust, emphasized that:
“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.”
Throughout the Dialogue, speakers reiterated that Africa’s health future depends on translating commitments into action. They called for stronger domestic refinancing mechanisms, greater private sector engagement, enhanced regional collaboration, and accelerated implementation of African-led innovations capable of strengthening resilient health systems across the continent
Participants agreed that the Accra Dialogue should serve as a catalyst for a renewed continental compact on health financing one grounded in domestic ownership, measurable accountability and strategic innovation. Recommendations emerging from the Dialogue will be transmitted to the African Union Extraordinary Summit and incorporated into the evolving Accra Reset Agenda, helping shape priorities as Ghana prepares to assume the African Union Chairship in 2027.
About the H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Foundation
The H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Foundation is dedicated to improving health and human development across Africa by promoting sustainable health financing, strengthening health systems, advancing maternal and child health, and fostering strategic partnerships that accelerate the achievement of Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.
About African Renaissance Trust
The African Renaissance Trust (ART) is a pan-African organization committed to advancing sustainable development through evidence-based policy dialogue, strategic partnerships and innovative solutions that strengthen governance, health systems and inclusive development across the continent. ART works with governments, regional institutions, development partners, the private sector and civil society to promote African-led solutions that improve the lives of citizens.
