….and Embrace Sustainable Health Financing at AU Summit
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!At the 38th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, urged African nations to adopt sustainable health financing strategies to promote economic growth and social stability. Speaking at the High-Level Meeting on Domestic Health Financing in Africa, organized by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Tinubu emphasized the urgent need to reduce reliance on foreign aid, advocating for the development of innovative, homegrown funding solutions for healthcare across the continent.
Ending the Dependence on Foreign Aid
Tinubu warned against the unpredictability and unsustainability of foreign aid, particularly U.S. support, highlighting the importance of African countries looking inward to address their health financing needs. She called for the adoption of efficient resource mobilization strategies, tailored to each country’s unique challenges, to ensure access to essential healthcare services for millions across Africa.
Sharing Nigeria’s perspective, Tinubu stressed the need for a healthcare system that guarantees access to quality services without financial burdens on citizens. She called for African governments to increase national health budgets and commit to the Abuja Declaration, which advocates for allocating at least 15% of national budgets to health.
The Role of Accountability and Innovative Financing Mechanisms
Tinubu also emphasized the role of accountability and transparency in the use of health funds, stressing that every dollar allocated should be spent effectively. She proposed several innovative financing mechanisms, including expanding health insurance coverage, establishing health endowment funds, and encouraging investments from the African diaspora, all of which could provide more reliable and sustainable funding for healthcare systems.
The Call for a Unified Approach
The meeting gathered African leaders, including Presidents and Heads of State from Rwanda, Ethiopia, Botswana, Kenya, Senegal, and Zimbabwe, as well as international funding partners and donor agencies. Leaders collectively agreed that Africa must invest in local research, healthcare technology, and skilled medical personnel, with an emphasis on sustainable funding to drive productivity and prosperity.
The summit concluded with a unified call for African nations to seek local health financing solutions, building resilient healthcare systems and achieving greater self-sufficiency.
