The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has called for a fairer global health system that allows African countries to take full ownership of their health priorities.
Dr. Ghebreyesus said sudden aid cuts were causing major setbacks in African health systems, with health workers losing their jobs, clinics shutting down, and life-saving medicines locked away in warehouses.
He warned that health aid was projected to fall by up to 40% this year making it the most severe disruption since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He was speaking at the opening of the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit held on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, in Accra.
The summit, hosted in Accra, brought together African Heads of State, health ministers, and global health leaders to discuss urgent reforms in the way health systems are governed and financed on the continent. It aims to push for reforms in global health governance and highlight national ownership, local investment, and stronger leadership in public health.
Key outcomes of the summit include the endorsement of The Accra Initiative, the launch of the SUSTAIN Initiative to promote domestic health financing, and the formation of a Presidential High-Level Panel. The Accra Compact, a document outlining Africa’s unified vision for health sovereignty, was also adopted.
The Director General stressed that the crisis presents an opportunity for Africa to move away from dependency on foreign aid and embrace a new era of self-reliance and sovereignty.
He praised countries like Ghana for stepping up domestic investment in health, especially after Parliament passed reforms to increase funding for the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Credit: ghanaiantimes