President John Dramani Mahama has issued a strong call for African health sovereignty, warning that declining international support and outdated global health structures are undermining progress on the continent.
Addressing participants at the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit held at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, President Mahama described the current moment as one of deep disruption, marked by overlapping crises that are testing global systems and exposing longstanding inequalities.
“This Summit comes at a time of overlapping and intensifying global crises. War, pandemics, climate shocks, economic volatility, and widening inequalities are not just testing our systems; they are exposing their fault lines. The world has changed, but global health governance has not kept pace.”
He called for a complete redesign of global health architecture, one that centers African voices, addresses local realities, and prioritises resilience and dignity over short-term crisis responses.
“In this moment, we are called to redesign the architecture that has, for too long, excluded Africa’s voices, needs, and innovations. We are called to build systems that do more than respond to crises, we must build systems that generate resilience, produce equity, and amplify dignity.”
While acknowledging progress made in global health over the past decades such as reduced child mortality, expanded access to antiretroviral treatment, and improved sanitation, President Mahama warned that these gains are under threat.
“Let us be clear: we have seen profound global health achievements over the past decades. Let us honour those successes:
• Child mortality has been halved since 1990.
• Maternal deaths have dropped by over 40% since 2000.
• Over 29 million people now access life-saving antiretroviral treatment.
• Millions live longer and healthier lives due to cleaner air, better sanitation, and innovative health systems.”
“These gains were not accidents. They were the fruits of bold partnerships GAVI, the Global Fund, PEPFAR, and many others. But even as we celebrate, we must confront the truth: these gains are now under siege.”
The president pointed to a sharp drop in global development assistance in 2023 as a turning point that triggered immediate consequences for Africa’s health systems.
“In 2023, global development assistance declined sharply. Africa felt the shock immediately maternal health programmes halted, vaccine supplies delayed, and medicines disappeared from clinic shelves. In Ghana, our community-based health delivery model, the CHPS programme, was brought to its knees by abrupt funding withdrawals. The ripple effects were felt from Dodowa to Damongo.”
Describing the current situation as more than a funding shortfall, Mahama identified it as a broader failure of imagination, solidarity, and accountability.
“This is not merely a funding gap. It is a crisis of imagination, a vacuum of solidarity, and a deep failure of shared responsibility. Above all, it is a question of sovereignty—the right of African nations to determine their health priorities, marshal their capacities, and lead with their own vision.”
He concluded with a resolute message on the need for African leadership in shaping the continent’s health future:
“Africa must no longer be the patient. It must be the author, the architect, and the advocate of its health destiny.”
The summit brought together heads of state, health experts, development partners, and civil society leaders committed to reshaping Africa’s health future on its own terms.
