President John Dramani Mahama has assumed the chairmanship of the Committee of Heads of State and Government of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention as African leaders chart a course for health self-reliance amid major funding cuts from international partners.
Meeting on the sidelines of UNGA 80 Monday, the African leaders praised Mahama for his recent Africa Health Sovereignty Summit in Accra, recognizing it as an initiative that has revitalized continent-wide discussions on health self-sufficiency and resilience.
The President took over the chairmanship from the Angolan President and African Union Chair during the session.
The leaders discussed urgent challenges including major funding reductions from international partners, with the United States alone reportedly cutting health funding to Africa by an estimated $8 billion, alongside similar cuts from European nations.
These reductions, they acknowledged, expose the vulnerability of Africa’s health systems while creating an opportunity for the continent to break dependency cycles through domestic investment and ownership of health agendas.
Mahama called for increased commitment from all member states and urged more direct engagements with potential investors and donors through sustained advocacy.
The President highlighted Ghana’s proactive steps, including government interventions that have expanded the National Health Insurance Scheme and the country’s readiness to increase health sector investments through the Big Push initiative starting next year.
The meeting committed to pooling resources to establish regional drug manufacturing hubs with a target of meeting at least 60 percent of Africa’s pharmaceutical demand by 2040.
Drawing inspiration from India’s pharmaceutical sector, which has over 10,000 manufacturing companies, the leaders expressed confidence that united African efforts could cut drug prices while generating employment opportunities across the continent.
Leaders agreed to harmonize regulatory frameworks and engage collaboratively with institutions such as GAVI and the World Bank, which have pledged to share their experiences in supply chain management and health infrastructure development.
The Africa CDC outlined strategic efforts to strengthen continental health resilience through training programs, operational centers, and advanced surveillance systems.
The surveillance systems incorporate digital tools extending to rural areas for real-time connection enabling early detection and preventive action against pandemics including Mpox, Dengue Fever, Ebola, Cholera, and other communicable diseases.
These technological capabilities aim to improve Africa’s pandemic preparedness and response capacity.
President Mahama’s Accra Reset initiative was recognized as instrumental in setting the stage for these renewed discussions on health sovereignty.
The President’s leadership in hosting the health summit and now chairing the Africa CDC committee positions Ghana at the forefront of continental health policy development.
A resolution was formally adopted establishing a policy framework to drive the health self-reliance agenda, with support from GAVI and the WHO Director General, who committed to reviewing progress at another planned meeting on the UN General Assembly sidelines.
The framework addresses pharmaceutical manufacturing, regulatory harmonization, and sustainable financing mechanisms.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
