3 weeks Ago By The Independent
Dr. Jean Kaseya, the Director General of the Africa CDC (right) leads a delegation that held discussions with Sania Nishtar, the CEO of GAVI in 2024. Africa CDC is now looking at new ways to finance health in countries.
COURTESY PHOTO/AFRICA CDC.Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | With external health aid to Africa projected to drop by 70% between 2021 and 2025, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has launched a continent-wide strategy aimed at transforming how health systems are financed.The steep decline in official development assistance, coupled with a 41% surge in disease outbreaks from 2022 to 2024, is putting immense pressure on already overstretched health systems.
Experts warn that without urgent reform, the continent could risk losing significant progress in disease control, maternal care, and epidemic preparedness.As a way of curbing some of these challenges, the Africa CDC, together with African Union member states, has embarked on revising national health financing plans to prioritize domestic investment in health.“Africa cannot continue outsourcing its health security,” said Dr.
Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC. “This strategy is not about aid—it’s about ownership. We are building a future where Africa invests in its people, drives its own health agenda, and responds to crises with speed, strength, and self-reliance.
”The strategy urges governments to fulfil the Abuja Declaration by allocating at least 15% of national budgets to health. It also introduces innovative financing ideas such as solidarity levies on airline tickets, alcohol, and mobile services, while exploring how Africa’s US$95 billion in annual diaspora remittances can support national health priorities. Blended finance tools will be used to unlock public and private capital for critical investments in infrastructure, digital health, and local production of vaccines and medical supplies.
According to the Africa CDC, implementation will be phased.The first phase that runs between 2025 and 2026 will focus on updating national health financing plans in 30 countries, piloting innovative revenue mechanisms, and launching transparency dashboards. The second phase, which runs from 2026 to 2030, will scale successful approaches to enable at least 20 countries to finance 50 percent or more of their health budgets through sustainable domestic sources.
To track results and ensure accountability, Kaseya says they will deploy a new African Health Financing Scorecard to monitor progress, improve donor alignment, and boost efficiency in domestic spending.****URNShare on: WhatsAppThe post Africa CDC unveils plan to transform health financing appeared first on The Independent Uganda:..
