President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Africa’s health sovereignty following high-level talks with leading global health officials on the sidelines of the African Union Extraordinary Summit on health in Accra.
The President met with the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, and the Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), Joy Phumaphi, to discuss strategies for strengthening public health systems across the continent.
A key focus of the meeting was the Accra Reset, President Mahama’s vision to position Africa as a producer of its own vaccines, strengthen resilient healthcare systems and reduce dependence on external assistance through greater self-reliance.
During the discussions, President Mahama also highlighted progress under Ghana’s Free Primary Healthcare programme, which provides all Ghanaians with free access to basic healthcare services at Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds and polyclinics without the need for a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) card. He said the initiative forms part of the government’s efforts to accelerate the country’s progress towards Universal Health Coverage.
Ms Byanyima commended President Mahama for his leadership in promoting health sovereignty, describing his vision as an important contribution to improving healthcare across Ghana, Africa and the wider Global South.
The meeting took place as Accra hosts the African Union Extraordinary Summit on health, bringing together African leaders and health stakeholders to develop collective strategies aimed at improving health outcomes, promoting equity and strengthening healthcare systems across the continent.
