By Iddi Yire
Accra, Aug 5, GNA – The Africa Health Sovereignty Summit is a call to reimagine health governance through African Leadership and Continental Sovereignty through African Leadership and Continental Sovereignty, Mr Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff at the Presidency, has said.
He noted that the Summit was not a ceremonial meeting, and that it was a working co-creation Summit that sought to reflect on the changing global health landscape and its impact on Africa, both the risks and opportunities before the participants.
Mr Debrah said this in a statement read on his behalf by Nana Oye Bampoe, the Deputy Chief of Staff in-charge of Finance and Administration at the opening of the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit in Accra.
He said the Summit sought to co-create bold, sovereign solutions that would influence a re-imagined global health governance architecture with Africa at its centre.
It also seeks to lay the foundation for a Presidential Task Force to design a time-bound actionable framework for reforming global health governance in line with their national and continental priorities.
In addition, it seeks to endorse the sustain framework, their vehicle for safeguarding health gains, driving country-led reforms, and preparing their systems for the future.
It further seeks to define a clear roadmap beyond Accra, ensuring that the solutions they design there were socialized and adopted through key African and global milestones – from the African Union Summits to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and other global health fora – so that their collective voice was heard and acted upon.
These outcomes, Mr Debrah said were not just words on paper; stating that they were a roadmap for delivery, from this room to national capitals, and from our continent to the global stage.
He said they were converging in Accra at a critical moment for global health, because their hard won gains in the health sector were at risk – from maternal and child health to HIV and Pandemic responses.
Additionally, shifting geopolitics and reduced donor funding are testing the resilience of our systems.
He said the Global Health governance architecture, built in a different era, no longer reflected Africa’s realities of their time; stating that it was no longer fit for purpose.
Mr Debrah said the Accra Summit was also a signal to the world that Africa was no longer a passive participant in global health governance.
“We are authors of the reforms we need, investors on our own systems, and partners to the world on equal terms,” he said.
“By working together today, we are launching an African-led initiative that can reshape not only our continental approach, but also the global health order – making it more inclusive, resilient, and reflective of today’s realities.
“Let us leave Accra with bold outcomes, actionable next steps, and a shared determination to protect the health and dignity of our people – And let us carry this work forward to every milestone, from African Union (AU) meetings to United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), until these solutions are fully embraced and implemented.”
GNA
Christian Akorlie