Ministers from 47 African nations gather in Lusaka to chart a new health agenda
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has renewed its commitment to helping African countries strengthen their health systems and deliver equitable healthcare for all. Speaking at the opening of the 75th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Lusaka, Zambia, the organisation’s Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, assured member states of WHO’s readiness to work hand-in-hand with the continent to overcome long-standing challenges while harnessing its vast potential in the health sector.
Dr. Tedros stressed that Africa’s push towards robust health systems must be anchored on self-reliance, efficiency, and accountability. He acknowledged the financial and security challenges facing many countries but maintained that “Africa offers great promise” if governments and partners work in synergy to transform health delivery.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, who declared the high-level meeting open, urged African leaders to build on the hard lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic. He called for strengthened health diplomacy to confront inequalities, while urging regional governments to see health not only as a social necessity but also as a catalyst for trade and industrialisation. “We must harmonise public health regulations across borders and place collaboration and humanity at the centre of our decisions,” he emphasised.
Echoing this stance, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Janabi, underscored the need for countries to work more closely together in reshaping Africa’s health architecture. He called for reforms that are “accountable, transparent, and responsive to African realities,” insisting that only robust systems can meet the urgent health needs of the continent’s growing population.
Zambia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Elijah Muchima, also made a passionate appeal for unity in addressing the continent’s complex health challenges. According to him, “No single nation can overcome these challenges in isolation. We must deepen regional collaboration, share best practices, harness African expertise and innovation, and build long-term resilience across borders.”
Over the course of three days, health ministers from the 47 member states will deliberate on critical health priorities. Among these is a landmark resolution to accelerate progress in oral health, an area long neglected despite affecting millions across the continent. Ministers will also discuss a plan to end persistent blood shortages that endanger mothers, children, and patients with conditions such as sickle cell disease, through modernising supply systems and boosting voluntary blood donations.
Other agenda items include expanding access to rehabilitation services, which remain out of reach for two-thirds of Africans in need, and transforming care for women, children, and adolescents, a pressing concern as the region still accounts for 70 percent of global maternal deaths. Delegates are also expected to debate strategies to close Africa’s critical health workforce gap, currently far below the global standard, and to scale up interventions against malaria, which continues to claim thousands of lives each year.
With health ministers, policymakers, and experts under one roof, the Lusaka gathering is being viewed as a pivotal moment for Africa’s health agenda, an opportunity to align political will, resources, and innovation towards building resilient systems that can withstand future crises and deliver on the promise of health for all.
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