"Africa must be the architect, not patient of its health future" - Prez. Mahama

President of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, has issued a powerful call for a complete reimagining of global health governance, urging African countries to seize control of their health destinies.

He made the call during his keynote address at the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit in Accra on Tuesday.

Delivering what many observers described as a bold and visionary speech, President Mahama lamented the outdated nature of the current global health architecture, which he said has consistently sidelined African voices, innovations, and priorities.

“We are not gathered here today by chance. We are here by conviction—a collective refusal to accept the limits imposed upon us by an outdated global health order,” President Mahama declared.

"Africa must no longer be the patient. It must be the author, the architect, and the advocate of its health destiny.”

A Global System Under Siege

Referencing a wave of ongoing global crises—including pandemics, climate change, conflict, and economic shocks—Mahama warned that the systems meant to protect global health are faltering, especially for the Global South.

He cited the sharp decline in development assistance in 2023 as a turning point that exposed Africa’s overdependence on external health financing.

“In Ghana, our community-based health delivery model, the CHPS programme, was brought to its knees by abrupt funding withdrawals,” he said. “This is not merely a funding gap—it is a crisis of imagination and a vacuum of solidarity.”

Celebrating African Leadership and Innovation

President Mahama acknowledged Africa’s rich legacy of health leadership, referencing figures such as the late Kofi Annan, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa.

He also praised the continent’s emerging health institutions such as the Africa CDC and the African Medicines Agency (AMA), describing them as critical to the continent’s future health sovereignty.

“From Ebola to COVID-19, from malaria elimination to vaccine equity, Africa has shown it can lead,” Mahama stated.

Ghana’s Example: A Shift Toward Sovereignty

Highlighting Ghana’s strides toward health sovereignty, Mahama cited the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Scheme financing and the launch of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund as key steps in reducing reliance on foreign aid.

He also referenced a soon-to-be-launched Primary Health Care Programme designed to promote wellness and prevent disease at the community level.

Sharing the story of a young mother named Akosua, who survived childbirth complications due to Ghana’s digitised referral system, Mahama emphasised the impact of smart investments and digital health innovations.

“This is not a vision of the future. It is the present reality of health sovereignty in Ghana,” he said.

Health as an Economic Driver

Reframing the conversation around health and economics, the former president urged African finance ministers to treat health not as a cost but as a capital investment.

“Health is not a drain on our budgets—it is the engine of productivity and inclusive growth,” he asserted, adding that every $1 invested in health resilience yields up to $4 in economic returns.

Concrete Commitments: Task Force and SUSTAIN Initiative

In a significant announcement, President Mahama launched two major initiatives:

1. The Presidential High-Level Task Force on Global Health Governance, to engage partners in reshaping global health systems for the 21st century.

2. The SUSTAIN Initiative (Scaling Up Sovereign Transition and Institutional Networks), an African-led platform to align national budgets with health priorities and mobilise sovereign and diaspora capital.

He invited all nations present to join Ghana in building an African health investment ecosystem “driven by purpose, powered by equity, and anchored in sovereignty.”

The Accra Declaration for Health Sovereignty

President Mahama positioned the summit as a defining moment for Africa’s health future, one that demands co-creation over charity and dignity over dependency.

“Health is not a luxury. It is the foundation of freedom. It is the currency of our dignity,” he declared.

“Let the world hear this from Accra: Africa’s pain is not a deficit. It is a depth of perspective. Africa’s healing is not a plea. It is a rallying cry.”

The Africa Health Sovereignty Summit brought together leaders, health experts, development partners, and institutions committed to advancing a new era of African-led health solutions.

The “Accra Declaration for Health Sovereignty,” expected to be adopted at the summit’s close, will serve as a roadmap for the continent’s push toward resilient, self-reliant, and dignified health systems.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith