President John Dramani Mahama has called on African governments to prioritise health as a strategic investment in national development.
He urged a shift from the perception of health as a cost to viewing it as a critical driver of economic growth.
Delivering a keynote address at the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra on Tuesday, August 8, 2025, President Mahama stressed the need for a new economic framework that integrates health as a core component of productivity and inclusive development.
“The outdated notion that health drains our economies must be rejected. Health is the engine of productivity and the bedrock of inclusive growth,” he stated.
He cited data from the World Health Organization, which shows that every $1 invested in health resilience can yield up to $4 in returns, figures he said are even more significant for Africa due to the continent’s youthful population and untapped economic potential.
Highlighting the practical economic implications of improved health outcomes, he noted:
• Each malaria case prevented is a day of work regained.
• Each maternal death avoided contributes to family stability.
• Each child vaccinated represents a secured future and a productive citizen.
President Mahama proposed three key policy actions:
1. Ministries of Finance across the continent should categorise health as a capital investment.
2. Sovereign wealth funds must be encouraged to channel resources into biotechnology, diagnostics, and resilient healthcare infrastructure.
3. Economists and national planners should revise national accounting systems to reflect health spending as a productivity multiplier, not merely a consumption expense.
The summit brought together African Heads of State, health ministers, policy experts, and development partners to deliberate on strengthening health sovereignty and resilience in the wake of recent global health challenges.
President Mahama concluded by reaffirming his commitment to championing policies that place health at the centre of economic transformation and social progress across Africa.
