AHF Applauds African Leadership in Strengthening Public Health Systems
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has commended the Government of Zambia and other African nations for taking decisive steps to strengthen their national health systems and champion greater independence in public health governance. These actions come at a critical moment, as the continent faces mounting challenges from dwindling external support, rising debt burdens, and growing health needs.
Zambia Leads with Increased Health Budget Allocation
A notable example of this renewed commitment is Zambia’s bold decision to increase its health budget allocation from 7% in 2021 to 12% in 2025. This near-doubling of investment reflects not only the government’s recognition of health as a national priority but also a determination to secure long-term sustainability for its health sector. According to AHF, such actions underscore the political will required to strengthen national systems, reduce dependence on foreign aid, and ensure that African countries are prepared to respond to ongoing and emerging health threats.
Zambia’s move is particularly significant in light of the sharp 70% decline in Official Development Assistance (ODA) between 2021 and 2025, which has left many African health programs vulnerable. At the same time, African governments are grappling with rising debt levels, with countries expected to service as much as $81 billion in debt this year alone. In this context, increasing domestic financing for health is not just commendable—it is essential.
Continental Efforts: The Push for Health Sovereignty
Beyond Zambia, AHF is also applauding continental leadership, with African presidents and regional institutions driving a collective effort to advance public health sovereignty. Central to this movement was the African Health Sovereignty Summit, recently hosted by Ghana’s President John Mahama. The summit gathered leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to galvanize political will around reducing reliance on foreign aid, promoting health security, and positioning Africa as an equal partner in global health governance.
President Mahama’s leadership on health sovereignty reflects a broader recognition across the continent: that Africa’s health security and resilience must increasingly depend on African-led solutions. The summit emphasized strategies for building independence through stronger financing mechanisms, expanded manufacturing capacity, and more robust regional cooperation.
African Presidential Leadership on Health Priorities
Several African presidents have stepped forward to champion critical health priorities, each taking ownership of a specific domain that aligns with both national and regional needs:
- Ghana’s President John Mahama – Health Sovereignty: Leading efforts to reduce dependency on donor aid and strengthen African ownership of its health systems.
- Kenya’s President William Ruto – Regional Production: Advocating for increased local and regional production of medical commodities, including vaccines, to reduce reliance on imports and strengthen supply chain resilience.
- Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu – Health Workforce: Addressing the critical shortage of healthcare workers by focusing on training, retention, and equitable distribution of human resources for health.
- Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame – Health Financing: Driving innovative financing solutions that mobilize domestic resources while also leveraging international partnerships to build sustainable health systems.
- South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa – Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response: Championing continental readiness to detect, prevent, and manage pandemics, building on lessons learned from COVID-19.
- Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema – Cholera Response: Leading efforts to tackle recurring cholera outbreaks through improved water, sanitation, and health infrastructure, while also strengthening emergency response capacity.
These areas of focus reflect a pragmatic and coordinated approach to Africa’s health challenges. By dividing responsibilities and championing specific domains, African presidents are laying the groundwork for a stronger, more resilient, and self-reliant health ecosystem across the continent.
The Role of Regional Institutions
In addition to presidential leadership, key regional bodies are playing an increasingly important role in shaping the future of health in Africa. Organizations such as the African Union (AU), the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the AU Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) have been instrumental in mobilizing resources, supporting policy coherence, and fostering collaboration across countries.
One of the major priorities of these institutions has been to expand regional vaccine and medical commodity production. By strengthening local manufacturing capacity, Africa can reduce its dependency on imports, improve access to life-saving medicines, and respond more effectively to global supply chain disruptions. Already, significant progress is being seen in areas such as financing, regulatory frameworks, and regional market development.
Earlier this year, the Africa CDC launched its strategy titled “Africa’s Health Financing in a New Era”, designed to guide governments toward more sustainable financing approaches. The framework emphasizes diversification of funding sources, improved efficiency in health spending, and stronger accountability mechanisms.
In June 2025, the Africa CDC, in collaboration with the AU, the Africa Medicines Agency, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and AUDA-NEPAD, established a multi-institutional team tasked with ensuring policy coherence and advancing a unified continental position on health policy implementation. This initiative is expected to streamline decision-making, reduce duplication, and strengthen Africa’s collective voice in global health negotiations.
From Donor-Recipient Model to Shared Ownership
AHF’s Executive Vice President, Dr. Penninah Iutung, emphasized that this wave of African leadership marks a profound shift in global health relations. “The leadership emerging at national and regional levels across Africa shows how governments and institutions can transform global health by moving from a donor-recipient model to sovereignty and shared ownership, which AHF has always supported,” she said.
Dr. Iutung highlighted the advantages of building robust regional systems, including:
- South-South cooperation: Strengthening ties between African nations to share resources, expertise, and best practices.
- Pooled procurement: Leveraging collective bargaining power to secure better prices for medicines and health commodities.
- Greater leverage in global negotiations: Ensuring Africa has a stronger voice in shaping international health policy and financing arrangements.
- Coordinated responses and data sharing: Enabling more effective responses to regional health threats through improved surveillance and collaboration.
She further encouraged governments to adopt innovative financing mechanisms, such as debt swaps, and to explore opportunities with multilateral development banks. Strengthening cross-border collaboration and integrating regional markets will also be crucial to achieving a more equitable and sustainable health future.
The Road Ahead for African Health Systems
While challenges remain—particularly in securing sustainable financing and addressing external economic pressures—the progress already made demonstrates that Africa is on a new trajectory in global health. By investing in sovereignty, production, workforce development, and pandemic preparedness, African leaders are signaling their commitment to building health systems that are not only resilient but also responsive to the unique needs of their populations.
The combination of political will, institutional support, and regional cooperation represents a turning point. If maintained and expanded, these efforts could transform Africa from a continent heavily dependent on aid into a global health leader capable of shaping its own destiny.
As AHF noted, this is not just about reducing aid dependency—it is about reframing Africa’s role in global health governance. By prioritizing sovereignty, sustainability, and shared ownership, Africa is showing the world that it can build health systems rooted in resilience, equity, and innovation.
