Former President John Dramani Mahama has urged African leaders to move beyond declarations and commit to tangible investments that will strengthen the continent’s healthcare systems. Speaking at the African Union’s first Extraordinary Summit dedicated to health in Accra, President Mahama argued that achieving health sovereignty requires more than political commitments. It demands deliberate investments in infrastructure, local manufacturing, and sustainable financing.
Mahama stated that a stronger health value chain would create factories, laboratories, and decent jobs for Africa’s growing youth population. He noted this would be especially true when supported by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He emphasized that health sovereignty is also an industrial policy, a structural transformation agenda, and a liberation strategy. This approach links health outcomes directly to economic development and job creation across the continent.
The call comes 25 years after African leaders made a promise in Abuja to devote 15% of their national budgets to health. Mahama highlighted that this promise is now old enough to have children of its own, indicating a lack of consistent follow-through. He stressed that the pledges made at the current summit must be physical, not merely lyrical. This underscores the need for actionable plans and measurable outcomes rather than just verbal commitments.
President Mahama called for stronger collaboration between health and finance authorities. He urged governments to ensure that health priorities receive sustained budgetary support beyond electoral cycles. He highlighted mechanisms such as debt-for-health arrangements, solidarity financing instruments, and protected budget lines. These are possible ways to secure long-term investments in healthcare, ensuring stability and predictability in funding.
According to Mahama, investing in prevention offers significant economic returns. He stated that prevention repays ninefold, asking for a better bond in economic markets than prevention. This perspective frames health spending not just as an expense but as a high-return investment. The summit, he noted, would focus on key areas including local pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing, health financing, governance, and leadership.
President Mahama also announced that member states would adopt a continental declaration. This declaration will be supported by a monitoring, reporting, and accountability framework to track progress. He called for the introduction of an annual health scorecard. This scorecard would allow African countries to review each other’s performance and measure commitments. He encouraged embracing this scorecard as the mark of a union confident enough to grade itself.
Using a Ghanaian proverb, "one head does not hold counsel with itself," President Mahama emphasized the importance of collective action among African nations. This collective action is crucial in addressing shared health challenges. He expressed appreciation to African leaders for choosing Ghana as the host of the landmark health summit. He described it as an opportunity for the continent to redefine its approach to healthcare financing and sovereignty. This summit aims to shift the focus from mere discussion to concrete, measurable actions that will improve public health and economic stability across Africa.