President John Dramani Mahama has called on vaccine manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and biotech firms to establish production facilities in Africa as the continent seeks to move from bystander to active participant in the global health architecture.
Addressing attendees at the opening of the WHX Leaders Africa Summit in Accra on Tuesday, President Mahama said Africa must build capacity to manufacture vaccines, medicines, diagnostics, and health technologies on its own soil to achieve health sovereignty.
“Africa cannot afford to be a bystander. Africa must be a participant,” the President declared, telling global health leaders that the continent seeks partnerships “defined not by dependency but by co-investment, innovation and shared values.”
He said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed Africa’s vulnerabilities, including fragile supply chains, limited manufacturing capacity, and insufficient investment in primary health care and emergency preparedness.
“COVID-19 exposed these weaknesses dramatically, reminding us that in moments of global crisis, Africa often is the last to receive support. Those experiences taught us a hard lesson, that no continent is safe until every continent is safe,” he stated.
The President announced that Ghana is inviting private sector partners into strategic public-private partnerships to expand diagnostic imaging, laboratory networks, and specialized services nationwide.
He outlined three interconnected initiatives forming Ghana’s health transformation agenda: the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahama Cares) for specialized and high-cost medical treatment, universal free primary health care to ensure cost never prevents Ghanaians from receiving essential care, and retooling and modernizing health facilities through PPPs.
“Mahama Care seeks to break that cycle” of families suffering financial devastation from diseases like cancer, dialysis needs, advanced surgeries, and chronic disease management, the President said, adding that the program positions Ghana as a regional hub for specialized care and advanced research.
The health facility retooling will include modern imaging and diagnostic systems, upgraded laboratories, strengthened dialysis services, biomedical engineering reforms, and resilient smart supply chains.
Mahama told summit participants that conditions have never been more favorable for Africa’s health industrialization, citing the African Continental Free Trade Area’s unified market of 1.3 billion people, a growing innovation ecosystem, strengthened regulatory harmony through the African Medicines Agency, and strong political will across the continent.
“The table is set. The opportunity is enormous. And the moment is now,” the President stated.
He called on diagnostics innovators, biotech firms, and medical device producers to establish assembly plants, research and development centers, and fabrication facilities in Africa.
The President also urged development finance institutions, private equity firms, venture capital, and philanthropies to co-finance Africa’s health industrialization.
Mahama addressed African health workers, saying “this new era is yours,” and told young African innovators, AI developers, medtech creators, and digital health entrepreneurs that “the future of African healthcare will be shaped by your imagination and your ingenuity.”
The President emphasized that health sovereignty means aligning global assistance with country-led strategies, empowering the Africa CDC and African Medicines Agency, strengthening surveillance and early warning systems, and investing in Africa’s health workforce.
“A healthier Africa will be a more prosperous Africa. A more resilient Africa will strengthen global security. A more innovative Africa will enrich the global health ecosystem,” President Mahama said.
He challenged the summit to produce concrete results, saying it should be remembered “not for discussions, but for commitments that come out of it. Not for intentions, but for investments. Not for aspirations, but for implementation.”
The WHX Leaders Africa 2025 Summit is being held under the theme “Catalysing Africa’s Health Revolution through Investment, Innovation, Impact and Infrastructure.”
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
