By Kwame Bediako
Ghana’s Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has urged African nations to take ownership of their health futures through strategic investments in Healthcare. He made the call during the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit held in Accra on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.
The Minister underscored the importance of robust data systems that reflect the continent’s unique realities and stressed the need for supply chain sovereignty to improve healthcare delivery.
“Leading and owning our health future means investing in strong data systems so our realities are truly reflected. It means supply chain sovereignty. Above all, it means political courage to fund health, even when the budget is tight,” Akandoh declared.
He noted that smart investments in health yield significant returns in productivity, social stability, and improved quality of life for African populations.
Framing the summit as more than a conference, Akandoh described it as a living initiative designed to foster shared learning, collective ambition, and open dialogue among stakeholders.
“This summit is not a mere meeting. It is a living initiative. We have a space for shared learning, open challenge, and collective ambition. It’s a historical opportunity to co-create and shape the architecture of our health governance,” he said.
He emphasized that Africa already has the knowledge, experience, and wisdom to transform its healthcare systems, but what remains lacking is the collective courage to act.
“Our challenge is the courage to act together,” he said, referencing a guiding proverb: “He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.”
Akandoh concluded with a call for practical action over symbolic statements, urging the continent to build sustainable health systems rooted in dignity and independence.
“Let us close not with declarations, but with fierce, actionable commitments, commitments that ensure our dignity no longer depends on the generosity of others. Let us build a future,” he affirmed.
