Africa Urged to Strengthen Health Systems as Leaders Meet at AU Health Summit

African leaders have been urged to increase domestic investment in healthcare as international funding declines, with global health officials warning that decades of progress against major diseases could be reversed without stronger national commitments.

The call was made during the African Union Extraordinary Health Summit in Accra, where government leaders, health experts, and development partners gathered to discuss the continent’s most pressing public health challenges. The meeting focused on expanding universal health coverage, strengthening health systems, and improving Africa’s ability to respond to future disease outbreaks.

World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that reductions in international aid, combined with limited domestic health spending, pose a serious threat to gains made in combating HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases.

Addressing delegates, Dr. Tedros emphasized that stronger national health systems should remain at the center of Africa’s development agenda. While the WHO and international partners will continue providing technical assistance and guidance, he stressed that African governments must take greater responsibility for financing their own healthcare systems.

According to Dr. Tedros, sustainable progress depends on political commitment and increased domestic investment. He noted that external support alone cannot meet the growing healthcare needs of the continent, making local ownership essential for long-term resilience.

The summit comes at a particularly challenging time as several African countries continue to battle disease outbreaks alongside financial pressures. One of the most urgent concerns is the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, which health officials have described as one of the most severe outbreaks in recent years.

The outbreak was identified after spreading undetected for several weeks, making containment efforts significantly more difficult. Health authorities say the disease is spreading rapidly through conflict-affected areas, where insecurity and limited healthcare infrastructure complicate surveillance, treatment, and public health interventions.

The current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Health experts warn that the combination of armed conflict, population displacement, and weak healthcare systems increases the risk of wider transmission if urgent action is not maintained.

The situation has reinforced concerns that Africa’s health systems remain vulnerable to emerging infectious diseases, particularly when resources are stretched by declining donor support and competing national priorities.

UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima also addressed the summit, highlighting the close relationship between health emergencies and social inequality. She explained that disease outbreaks often have the greatest impact on vulnerable communities, while existing inequalities make it more difficult to control epidemics.

According to her, pandemics and inequality reinforce one another in a cycle that weakens societies and leaves countries increasingly exposed to future health crises. Breaking that cycle, she said, requires investments not only in healthcare but also in education, social protection, and economic development.

Health experts at the summit agreed that resilient health systems are essential for improving disease surveillance, expanding access to quality medical care, and ensuring countries are better prepared to respond quickly when outbreaks occur.

The two-day gathering in Accra also focused on strengthening health security across Africa through closer cooperation among governments, regional institutions, international organizations, and the private sector.

Participants discussed strategies to mobilize stronger political leadership, improve regional coordination during health emergencies, and expand local pharmaceutical manufacturing across the continent. Increasing domestic production of medicines and vaccines has become a growing priority following lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many African countries faced shortages caused by global supply chain disruptions.

Leaders also examined ways to improve financing for healthcare services while expanding universal health coverage so that more Africans can access affordable medical treatment without suffering financial hardship.

The summit reflects broader efforts by the African Union to accelerate progress toward the African Union Roadmap to 2030, which seeks to improve health outcomes while reducing the burden of communicable diseases and strengthening health systems across member states.

Public health officials believe stronger investment in healthcare infrastructure, trained medical personnel, disease surveillance, and emergency preparedness will be essential for achieving those goals.

Although international partners remain committed to supporting Africa’s health agenda, speakers repeatedly stressed that lasting progress will depend on governments increasing their own investment in health services and making healthcare a national development priority.

As delegates continue discussions, the message emerging from the summit remains clear. Protecting decades of progress against HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, Ebola, and future public health threats will require sustained political commitment, stronger institutions, and greater domestic financing. By building resilient health systems today, African countries can improve health outcomes, respond more effectively to future emergencies, and move closer to achieving universal health coverage for all citizens.

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