African Leaders Commit to Strengthening Health Systems

At the 20th Extraordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly on Health held in Accra, Ghana, African leaders reaffirmed their commitment to building resilient health systems across the continent. The declaration adopted at the conclusion of the two-day summit emphasized the need to reduce preventable maternal and child deaths, address both communicable and non-communicable diseases, and enhance access to quality healthcare.

The leaders pledged to achieve universal health coverage by 2030 and strengthen primary healthcare as the foundation of resilient health systems. They resolved to promote integrated service delivery, reinforce community participation, and improve epidemic and pandemic preparedness.

Additionally, the summit addressed the removal of financial, structural, social, and geographical barriers to healthcare, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women, children, adolescents, and persons with disabilities. The declaration reaffirmed the Abuja Declaration, committing African countries to allocate at least 15 percent of their annual national budgets to the health sector to improve healthcare delivery and reduce reliance on external funding.