Accra, July 22, GNA – Health Minister Kwabena Minta Akandoh Tuesday called on African countries to reduce dependence on external funding and mobilise domestic re
He said greater self-reliance was essential to achieving health sovereignty and universal health coverage across the continent.
Mr Akandoh made the call at the opening of the African Union’s 25th Extraordinary Summit on Health in Accra.
The summit brought together Ministers responsible for Health, Finance and Foreign Affairs from AU Member States to review implementation of the AU Roadmap to 2030 and beyond, with a focus on strengthening Africa’s health systems and advancing health sovereignty.
The Minister urged African leaders to prioritise predictable and sustainable domestic financing of health systems in line with the Abuja Declaration.
“A continent that finances its own health secures its own future. It cannot be held hostage to changing priorities beyond its shores,” he stressed.
Mr Akandoh also called for expanded local production of medicines, vaccines and health technologies, saying recent global health emergencies had exposed Africa’s dependence on imported medical products.
“The next emergency must never again find Africa waiting at the back of the queue,” he said.
The Minister also urged governments to place primary healthcare at the centre of national health systems by investing in community clinics, community health workers, nurses, midwives and other frontline healthcare professionals.
He said Africa had made progress in reducing HIV and AIDS infections, noting that:
“New HIV infections in eastern and southern Africa have declined by almost 60 per cent, while AIDS-related deaths have fallen by more than half,” he said.
Mr Akandoh said the continent nevertheless continued to face major health challenges, particularly maternal mortality and limited access to quality healthcare.
Africa, he noted, accounts for nearly 70 per cent of global maternal deaths, with almost 200,000 women dying each year from pregnancy-related causes that modern medicine could prevent.
The Minister said while the global Universal Health Coverage Service Coverage Index stood at 71, Africa’s regional average remained 44, the lowest in the world.
“Many families in Africa continue to choose between purchasing medicines and meeting basic household needs because of the high cost of healthcare,” he said.
“Ghana welcomes you today not as a host but as a partner in a cause greater than our borders: the pursuit of a healthier, more dignified and more self-reliant Africa,” he added..
