President Mahama Calls for Africa’s Health Sovereignty at High-Level CDC Meeting
President John Dramani Mahama joined fellow African heads of state and government on Monday for a crucial meeting of the Africa CDC Committee, addressing the pressing theme: “Securing Africa’s Health Sovereignty: Political Leadership for Sustainable Health Financing, Local Manufacturing, and Pandemic Preparedness.”
The high-level gathering, held ahead of the 80th UN General Assembly’s General Debates opening Tuesday, brought together continental leaders to chart a path toward healthcare independence amid declining international support.
President Mahama delivered a sobering assessment of the current healthcare funding landscape, warning that “external funding for healthcare and humanitarian assistance is declining rapidly.”
He cited alarming statistics, including the US Congress’s $8 billion cut from international assistance budgets in July and the termination of $54 billion worth of USAID contracts. The trend extends beyond the United States, with NATO allies reducing Official Development Assistance (ODA) to meet defense spending targets.
“If we do not take our health destiny into our own hands by shaping new strategies and partnerships, our citizens would be left without medicines, without vaccines, and without hope,” Mahama cautioned the assembly.
The Ghanaian President showcased his country’s concrete steps toward health sovereignty, highlighting several groundbreaking initiatives:
– MahamaCare: The newly passed Ghana Medical Trust Fund Act providing sustainable financing for non-communicable diseases
– National Vaccine Institute**: A GHS 75 million investment to establish Ghana as a regional vaccine research and manufacturing hub
– Free Primary Health Care: An upcoming program ensuring universal access to essential healthcare
– Health Insurance Reform: Restoration of GHS 3.5 billion (approximately $300 million) to the National Health Insurance Fund
“These are practical steps, demonstrating that when political will is strong, sovereignty is achievable,” Mahama emphasized.
President Mahama referenced the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit held in Accra last month, which launched the “Accra Reset” – an ambitious initiative to transform global health governance architecture.
“Africa must not only be invited to global health discussions. Africa must be a co-convener, a co-designer, and a co-owner of solutions,” he declared, calling for unified African representation in engagements with organizations like GAVI, the Global Fund, and the Pandemic Fund.
The meeting sets the stage for President Mahama’s upcoming side event on Tuesday at 8:00 PM Ghana time, titled “The Accra Reset: Reimagining Global Governance for Health and Development.”
His central message resonated throughout the gathering: “Health is not a cost. It is the engine of productivity and the foundation of sovereignty.”
As the 80th UN General Assembly convenes, African leaders are positioning the continent not as aid recipients, but as partners demanding equity and fairness in global health governance.
“As the world steps back, let Africa step forward,” President Mahama concluded, urging immediate action to invest in African health systems and secure the continent’s healthcare future.
The Africa CDC meeting represents a pivotal moment in the continent’s journey toward health independence, with leaders like President Mahama demonstrating that political will can translate into tangible progress toward sovereignty.
