John Dramani Mahama has warned that continued cuts in United States development assistance could push millions of Africans into poverty and trigger severe long-term public health consequences across the continent.
Speaking at the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, President Mahama said projections indicate that the suspension of United States Agency for International Development support to Africa could force about 5.7 million people into poverty by the end of 2026.
“It is estimated that the direct consequences of these aid suspensions could push about 5.7 million Africans into poverty by the end of 2026,” he stated.
The President further cautioned that the long-term effects of declining global health financing could be even more devastating.
“We were told that by 2030, 9 million preventable deaths could occur due to these shifts,” he disclosed.
President Mahama has been advocating reforms to global health financing systems, urging African countries to strengthen domestic healthcare systems and reduce dependence on external donor support.
He argued that the continent must build greater resilience against external funding shocks by investing more heavily in local healthcare delivery and sustainable financing mechanisms.
The President also reiterated that Ghana had already suffered significant financial losses following the United States’ decision to suspend aid support to some African countries.
According to him, Ghana has lost approximately $78 million in health funding, affecting critical programmes in areas such as malaria control, maternal and child health, nutrition and HIV/AIDS services.
Using the World Health Assembly platform, President Mahama called for a major overhaul of the global health financing architecture, warning that Africa could no longer rely on what he described as an outdated model of donor dependency.
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.
