African leaders call for sustainable health financing and reform

African leaders and international organizations are calling for a fundamental shift in how the continent finances and manages its health sector to ensure long-term stability and epidemic preparedness.

At the 76th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) highlighted that the continent faces both a financing gap and a “confidence gap.” ECA Chief of Staff Aboubakri Diaw noted that structural challenges include declining external aid, high out-of-pocket expenditures, and discrepancies between health strategies and budget execution. He emphasized that improving how resources are collected, pooled, and accounted for is essential to attracting private investment.

In a separate push for reform, Egypt’s Health and Population Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar advocated for sustainable and predictable funding to strengthen Africa’s ability to respond to epidemics. Speaking at a meeting of the African High-Level Ministerial Committee on Global Health Architecture Reform, Abdel Ghaffar urged the continent to move away from reactive assistance toward African-owned capabilities. He called for increased support for African-led clinical trials and a review of financing mechanisms within the World Bank and other multilateral development banks to bolster regional health security.