The Pan-African Parliament has adopted a resolution challenging African governments to honour their long-standing commitment to increase domestic financing for health, warning that weak funding continues to expose the continent to public health threats. The call was made on Tuesday following concerns over persistent vulnerabilities in Africa's health systems.
Health Funding Shortfall Exposed
The Parliament reaffirmed the Abuja Declaration of 2001, which requires African countries to allocate at least 15% of their annual national budgets to the health sector. This commitment has been consistently overlooked, leaving Africa's health systems woefully unprepared for public health emergencies.
The Parliament noted that Africa has faced repeated health crises, including HIV, Ebola, COVID-19, mpox, Marburg, and recurring cholera outbreaks. These crises have exposed weaknesses in health systems, including limited emergency financing, slow procurement processes, and inadequate coordination.
Strengthening Health Financing and Preparedness
Chairman of the Pan-African Parliament's Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, said governments must take urgent steps to strengthen health financing and preparedness. The Parliament called on member states of the African Union to implement the commitment and establish statutory contingency funds to respond to emergencies.
The lawmakers also urged governments to strengthen legal frameworks that support public health emergency response. They called on AU member states to domesticate Africa CDC continental frameworks into national laws, particularly those covering biosafety and biosecurity, public health institutions, emergency preparedness, data governance, local manufacturing of health products, and cross-border health cooperation.
Recognising Africa CDC's Role
The Parliament recognised the role of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in supporting countries to prevent and control diseases across the continent. It encouraged closer cooperation between the Pan-African Parliament and the Africa CDC through a formal framework to improve pandemic preparedness and intervention.
Accelerating Ratification and Implementation
The Parliament also urged countries to accelerate the ratification and implementation of the Treaty establishing the African Medicines Agency and the AU Model Law on Medical Products Regulation. Strengthening health systems requires more than policies, stressing the importance of legislation to give governments the authority to respond effectively to health threats.
Protecting African Populations
The lawmakers said stronger investment, better laws, and improved coordination are necessary to protect African populations against current and future public health emergencies. The Parliament's resolution serves as a stark reminder that the continent's health systems remain fragile, leaving millions of lives at risk.
Source: Joy Online
