President John Dramani Mahama has stressed the need for African countries to reform their health systems to enable it to withstand future shocks and also ensure sustainable healthcare delivery.

Speaking at the opening of the African Health Sovereignty Summit in Accra on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, he stated that the recent funding withdrawals from Western donors calls for greater self-reliance in health care delivery across the continent.

He cited global crises such as pandemics, climate shocks, economic volatility and war, that have exposed major weaknesses in Africa’s health infrastructure.

"The world has changed, but global health governance has not kept pace with the changing world. At this moment, we are called to redesign the architecture that has for far too long excluded Africa's voices, excluded Africa's needs and innovations. We're called to build systems that do more than respond to crisis. We must build systems that generate resilience," he noted.

While acknowledging global health gains, such as a 40% drop in child mortality since 2000 and expanded access to antiretroviral treatments, Mahama warned that these advances are under threat.

He lamented the 2023 decline in global development assistance, which hit Africa particularly hard while addressing the gathering at the summit held under the theme, “African Health Sovereignty in a Reimagined Global Health Governance Architecture."

“Maternal health programs halted, vaccine supplies were delayed, and medicines disappeared from clinical shelves.

“In Ghana, our community-based health delivery model, the CHPS compounds, was brought to its knees by abrupt funding withdrawals. The ripple effects were felt all across our country, from Dodowa to Damango,” he stated.

The summit convened by President Mahama brought together African Heads of State, policymakers, and global health actors to push for a bold reimagining of global health governance.

JKB/VPO

Meanwhile, watch the trailer to GhanaWeb’s yet-to-air documentary on teenage girls and how fish is stealing their futures below: