Africa’s well being can’t rely on end result of international elections – Dr Nkengasong urges well being sovereignty at Galien Africa Webinar – Life Pulse Daily

Introduction: Africa’s Health Future Must Be Self-Driven

The health and development of Africa have long been shaped by external forces, from colonial-era medical practices to modern geopolitical interests. However, Dr. John Nkengasong, Executive Director of the Mastercard Foundation’s Higher Education Collaboratives, delivered a resounding call during the eighth Galien Forum Africa webinar: health sovereignty in Africa must be anchored in African tools, expertise, and priorities—never in the outcomes of elections abroad. This message, amplified by Prof. Awa Marie Coll Seck, Chair of Galien Africa and former Senegalese Health Minister, underscores a pivotal shift toward African healthcare independence as a foundation for sustained progress.

At the core of Dr. Nkengasong’s argument is the rejection of dependency on foreign political decisions, which he warned could derail Africa’s health trajectories. Instead, he framed health as an asset allocation—a strategic investment in human capital—rather than an expenditure. This article dissects the implications of this vision, offering a roadmap for African nations to reclaim control over their health systems while navigating the complexities of globalization.

Analysis: Decoupling Health from External Politics

Political Dependency vs. Autonomy

Dr. Nkengasong’s stark critique begins with the reality that Africa’s health policies have often been reactive to global political shifts. For decades, international elections—particularly in Western nations—have influenced aid distribution, vaccine rollouts, and health partnerships. While these ties are not inherently malicious, over-reliance risks ceding sovereignty to unpredictable external agendas.

“We cannot leave Africa’s future in the hands of political outcomes elsewhere,” Dr. Nkengasong insisted. This dependency not only undermines adaptability but also diverts focus from localized challenges like disease patterns, cultural practices, and resource distribution. The example of vaccine hesitancy campaigns in the 1990s, driven by Western health agendas, illustrates how misaligned priorities can erode trust.

Financial Autonomy Through Asset Allocation

Central to Dr. Nkengasong’s strategy is redefining health financing. He urged African leaders to treat healthcare investments as asset allocations—prioritizing long-term returns in productivity and human potential. By 2024, Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) had expanded coverage to over 70% of its population, a model attributed to sustained public funding and localized management. Similarly, Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program, launched in 2018, demonstrates how pooled funding can mitigate out-of-pocket expenses, a key barrier for low-income populations.

“Health is not an expense—it’s a catalyst for economic resilience,” he noted, referencing Austria’s development model, where public health expenditures correlate with GDP growth. African nations with robust health systems, like Ethiopia’s Primary Healthcare Revolution, have seen reduced mortality rates and increased workforce participation.

Traditional Knowledge and Innovation

Coll Seck highlighted a complementary pillar: safeguarding and modernizing traditional knowledge. African medicinal practices, such as the use of *Aframomum melegueta* (grains of paradise) for malaria and *Argania spinosa* (argan oil) for dermatology, remain underutilized in mainstream medicine. Integrating these into national health strategies could reduce costs and foster local innovation.

“We must marry ancestral wisdom with biomedical science,” she argued. The African Medicines Agency (AMA), supported by the African Union, is piloting frameworks for regulating traditional herbal products, ensuring safety without stifling creativity. This aligns with Dr. Nkengasong’s push for “research rooted in African contexts,” such as studying *Artemisia annua* (used historically for fevers) for new antimalarial compounds.

Summary: A Dual Focus on Ownership and Collaboration

The webinar crystallized two imperatives: health sovereignty as a non-negotiable principle and strategic collaboration at regional and continental levels. Dr. Nkengasong and Coll Seck agreed that while external partnerships (e.g., COVAX, Gavi) have value, they must align with African-led priorities. This includes harmonizing policies through the African Union (AU) to streamline vaccine procurement, intellectual property rights, and cross-border health data sharing.

Ghana’s Accra Reset Initiative—presented at the 2025 UN General Assembly—embodies this vision. Launched by President John Dramani Mahama, it prioritizes health sovereignty as the “entry point” for broader development, proposing reforms to multinational institutions like the World Bank to better align projects with regional needs. Such initiatives signal a shift from aid dependency to sovereign investment.

Key Points

Health as an Asset, Not an Expenditure

Dr. Nkengasong’s concept of health funding as an asset allocation challenges traditional donor-driven models. By redirecting GDP allocations—like the 25% increase post-Abuja Declaration—to health infrastructure and research, Africa can build systems resilient to external shocks. For example, Rwanda’s Mukamira Mmari (“insurance box”) program pools household contributions to fund community health workers, reducing reliance on external donors.

Leveraging Regional Collaboration

Prof. Coll Seck emphasized the need for AU-led frameworks to standardize pharmaceutical manufacturing and cross-border referrals. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers a template: by reducing tariffs on health goods, African nations can create economies of scale in vaccine production. South Africa’s Biovac, which manufactures mRNA technologies under AU support, exemplifies this potential.

Education and Youth as Catalysts

Coll Seck’s call for curricula overhauls targets intergenerational change. Initiatives like the Galien Foundation’s Prix Galien Africa awards, which fund young researchers, aim to cultivate a pipeline of innovators. In Nigeria, the African Institute for Health Sciences trains Community Health Educators, integrating traditional practices with public health messaging.

Practical Advice for Implementing Health Sovereignty

Policy Reforms for Financial Autonomy

Governments should:

1. Reallocate budgets: Prioritize health spending as a % of GDP, following WHO’s Accra Agenda recommendations.
2. Establish Health Trust Funds: Governments and private sectors could co-invest in infrastructure, mirroring Saudi Arabia’s oil wealth reinvestment model.
3. Oppose exploitative trade terms: Demand renegotiation of intellectual property clauses in international aid agreements.

Promoting Traditional Medicine

Steps include:

• Decentralize regulatory bodies: Train senior workers to assess herbal medicine efficacy locally.
• Partner with diaspora scientists: Programs like Ghana’s Emerging Leaders Fellowship attract African researchers abroad.
• Invest in ethnopharmacology labs: Countries like Mali and Ghana host centers studying plants with medicinal potential.

Regional Vaccine Pooling

African nations should:

1. Adopt AU procurement guidelines: Leverage collective bargaining to reduce vaccine costs.
2. Support manufacture hubs: Build facilities in high-population regions, as Nigeria plans with the World Bank’s $3.5 billion in COVID-19 funding.
3. Train removed workers: The African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative (AVMI) aims to train 60,000 scientists by 2030.

Points of Caution

Balancing Local and Global Priorities

While sovereignty is vital, total isolation risks missing out on global health advancements. For instance, mRNA vaccine tech pioneered in the U.S. could accelerate Africa’s response to variants if partnered strategically rather than rejected outright.

Avoiding Fragmentation

Overemphasis on regional collaboration without centralized oversight risks inefficiency. Ethiopia’s success with its Health Extension Program faltered during conflicts due to supply chain fragmentation—a cautionary tale for AU-driven policies.

Comparison: Africa vs. Other Continents’ Health Strategies

Unlike the EU’s centralized regulation via the European Medicines Agency (EMA), Africa’s approach should prioritize decentralization. China’s Belt and Road Initiative in healthcare, while impactful, often ties aid to resource extraction—highlighting the need for sovereignty to avoid neo-colonial traps. Conversely, Scandinavia’s universal health models, achieving 95%+ coverage, show the long-term benefits of sustained political commitment.

Legal Implications

Sovereignty in International Law

Health sovereignty intersects with international trade law. African nations must navigate WTO regulations on generic drugs while asserting rights under instruments like the TRIPS Agreement. Case studies: South Africa’s 2002 Medicines Act challenged patent protections to improve HIV drug access, offering a legal template for future efforts.

Conclusion: A Vision for African Self-Determination

The Galien Forum’s messaging is clear: Africa’s health destiny must be self-driven. By redefining healthcare as an asset, fostering regional innovation, and integrating traditional knowledge, African nations can build systems resilient to external volatility. As Dr. Nkengasong urged, the time for waiting on global elections is over—African health sovereignty begins today.

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