President John Dramani Mahama has called for a shift in global health governance, urging African nations to define and lead their own health priorities.
Speaking at the opening of the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit in Accra, President Mahama said Africa must “own its future by building systems that generate wealth, uphold dignity and expand purpose.”
The Summit, held at the Kempinski Hotel, convened African Heads of State, policymakers and global health stakeholders to address structural flaws in global health systems exposed by war, pandemics, climate shocks and economic volatility.
President Mahama stressed that “Africa must no longer be the patient, it must be the author, the architect and the advocate of its health destiny.”
He called for systems that build resilience, equity and dignity, rather than merely responding to crises.
President Mahama extended an invitation to African nations to join in building a health investment ecosystem “driven by purpose, powered by equity and anchored in sovereignty.”
Highlighting institutional progress, he said “The establishment of institutions like Africa CDC, the African Medicines Agency are not mere bureaucracies but symbols of an emerging African health ecosystem, rooted in digital innovation, grounded in data and designed for self-determination.”
President Mahama rejected the notion that health drained economies, stating “In truth, health is the engine of productivity and the bedrock of inclusive growth.”
He cited WHO data showing that every $1 invested in health resilience yielded up to $4 in returns, adding that the return was even greater in Africa due to its youthful population.
The President urged ministries of finance to treat health as a capital investment and called for sovereign wealth funds to support biotech, diagnostics and resilient infrastructure.
Economists, he stressed, must revise national accounts to reflect health as a productivity multiplier.
On global reform, President Mahama said health governance must be “democratic, just and fit for 21st-century realities.”
It must reflect a multi-polar, digitally interconnected and climate-challenged world, he said.
Commenting on Ghana’s progress, the President announced the uncapping of National Health Insurance Scheme financing, creation of fiscal space of about GH¢3.5 billion for expanded coverage.
“We have launched the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, a sovereign innovation mobilising public, private, and philanthropic capital to tackle chronic disease burdens like hypertension and diabetes,” he said.
He also revealed plans to launch a Primary Health Care Programme and recruit community health volunteers to enhance preventive care and citizen wellness.
President Mahama announced two major commitments: the Presidential High-Level Task Force on Global Health Governance, and the Scaling Up Sovereign Transition and Institutional Networks (SUSTAIN) Initiative.
The latter aims to align budgets with health priorities, mobilise diverse capital, and foster cross-border innovation and accountability.
“Health is not a luxury but the foundation of freedom; it is the currency of people’s dignity and the greatest public good,” he told the gathering.
GNA
The post Mahama: Africa must own its future appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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