Windhoek: Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said that the most efficient and equitable source of health financing is public financing. He thus called on African countries to mobilise more domestic resources to strengthen health systems and achieve health sovereignty.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Dr. Tedros issued the appeal during the official opening of the 5th Regional Ministerial Steering Committee Meeting for Southern Africa, which was convened by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. He emphasized the importance of private funding but cautioned that it should not replace public financing.
Dr. Tedros proposed that countries could generate new revenue through health taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks, and allocate these funds through pooled procurement and more effective budget execution. He highlighted the health advancements Africa has made in the past 25 years, such as a significant increase in life expectancy and reductions in maternal and child mortality rates.
He credited some of the Southern African Development Community region's relatively stronger health indicators to greater stability and democratic governance, stating that "peace is the best medicine" and encouraging other African regions to learn from this experience.
Despite these achievements, Tedros warned of ongoing challenges in Africa, including non-communicable diseases, mental health disorders, disease outbreaks, climate change, pollution, insecurity, displacement, antimicrobial resistance, and health worker shortages. He noted that reductions in international health financing have complicated efforts to maintain essential services, but also present an opportunity for African nations to bolster self-reliance.
The high-level meeting brought together health ministers, senior government officials, technical experts, and development partners from across southern Africa to reaffirm their commitment to strengthening resilient health systems and advancing health security in the region.