John Dramani Mahama has stated that Africa cannot achieve genuine health sovereignty without significantly expanding local production of vaccines, medicines and critical healthcare supplies.
Speaking at the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, President Mahama warned that the continent remains heavily dependent on external systems despite carrying a substantial share of the global disease burden.
“A continent that manufactures less than one per cent of its vaccines while carrying 25 per cent of global disease burden is not sovereign. It is vulnerable,” he stated.
The President explained that health sovereignty should not be interpreted as isolationism but rather as the practical ability of countries to independently finance healthcare systems, regulate standards, manufacture medicines and manage health data.
“And by sovereignty, we do not mean isolationism. We’re advocating the practical capacity of a nation to finance its own core functions, regulate its own quality, produce its own medicines, and govern its own data,” he said.
According to President Mahama, excessive dependence on donor-funded health systems has weakened local healthcare planning and discouraged investment in domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing across Africa.
He further stressed the importance of building resilient supply chains and strengthening healthcare infrastructure throughout the continent.
His remarks come at a time when several African countries are intensifying efforts to establish vaccine manufacturing hubs and expand pharmaceutical industries following lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Global health experts have repeatedly cautioned that Africa’s heavy reliance on imported vaccines and medical products leaves the continent vulnerable during international health emergencies and global supply chain disruptions.
The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of the World Health Organization and brings together global leaders, health ministers and policymakers to discuss major international health challenges and reforms.
