UNGA: Health is not a cost, It is the engine of productivity and the foundation of sovereignty-Mahama to world leaders

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23/09/25

Ahead of the opening of the General Debates of the 80th UN General Assembly on Tuesday, President Mahama on Monday joined his colleagues in a meeting of heads of state and government of the Africa CDC on the theme: Securing Africa’s Health Sovereignty: Political Leadership for Sustainable Health Financing, Local Manufacturing, and Pandemic Preparedness.

President Mahama who will on Tuesday at 8.00 pm (Ghana Time) host a side event on the Accra Reset: Reimaging Global Governance for Health and Development, told the meeting that “Health is not a cost. It is the engine of productivity and the foundation of sovereignty.”

President’s statement at the meeting below:

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues, Friends,
It is a privilege to join you this afternoon under a theme that directly addresses
Africa’s future: Securing our Health Sovereignty. We are called to address the
challenges of today.

The truth is stark: external funding for healthcare and humanitarian assistance
is declining rapidly.

The US Congress in July cut $8 billion from the budget for
US international assistance. USAID contracts worth $54 billion have been
terminated. This is not peculiar to the US alone.

The NATO allies, to meet the target of 5% of GDP for defence spending, are all making cuts to ODA. If we do not take our health destiny into our own hands by shaping new strategies and partnerships, our citizens would be left without medicines, without vaccines, and without hope.

And there will be a reversal in our health care outcomes. That is why sovereignty in health is not optional. It is survival.

This meeting of the Committee of Heads of State and Government of the Africa CDC is vital because, as heads of state, the responsibility of leadership in
protecting the health and lives of our citizens rests directly on our shoulders.

We must step up to the plate and redirect resources to where they matter most.

We must cut wasteful expenditure and channel funds to improving health facilities, training more health professionals, producing our medicines and our
own vaccines.

Ghana’s Experience
In Ghana, we are not just talking about sovereignty, we are working to make it real.

We have passed the Ghana Medical Trust Fund Act (MahamaCare), a bold new programme that provides sustainable
financing for people battling non-communicable diseases.

We have set up a National Vaccine Institute, backed with GHS 75 million, to make Ghana a hub for vaccine research and manufacturing for
the region.

And very soon, we will roll out a Free Primary Health Care programme, so that essential care is available to everyone without cost, without barriers, without delay.

We uncapped the National Health Insurance Fund to restore GHS 3.5 billion (about $300 million) of health funding which was previously swept into the consolidated fund for consumption.

These are practical steps, demonstrating that when political will is strong, sovereignty is achievable.

Just last month, at the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit in Accra, we launched the
Accra Reset.

The Reset aims to transform the global governance architecture
amidst the current global uncertainty. The starting point for this transformation is the health sector.

Africa must not only be invited to global health discussions. Africa must be a co-convener, a co-designer, and a co-owner of solutions.

Today’s meeting of the Committee of Heads of State and Government of the Africa CDC is the place to carry this vision forward. And so when we go to GAVI, the Global Fund, or the Pandemic Fund, we must go as one Africa – united, determined, and demanding fairness and equity.

Colleagues, let us move from words to action. As the world steps back, let Africa step forward. Let us invest in our people’s health by investing in our health systems.

Health is not a cost. It is the engine of productivity and the foundation of sovereignty.

The time is now.

Thank you, and may God bless Africa.