Africa Must Forge Partnerships To Address Health Challenges – PBAT

President Bola Tinubu says Africa must forge partnerships that transcend borders and sectors, leveraging on collective expertise, knowledge, resources to address the challenges confronting the health sector.

He stated this at the Ministerial Executive Leadership Programme, on the margins of the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

President Tinubu said Africa’s effective collaboration with the rest of the world to tackle existential health challenges was not merely a strategic choice, but a moral imperative.

The President, who was appointed as the AU Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership, said the challenges confronting the continent are too complex and multifaceted for any entity to tackle alone.

President Tinubu noted that addressing the identified challenges would require a multi-faceted approach, involving robust investments in healthcare infrastructure, training, re-training, skilled manpower retention, improving access to essential medicines, and promoting preventive healthcare measures.

The President emphasised that healthcare professionals were the backbone of the healthcare system, and that investments must be made not only in training, but also in creating conducive environments that would enable healthcare professionals to thrive.

He said community health delivery must be the cornerstone of Africa’s efforts, fostering partnerships with local stakeholders and empowering individuals to take charge of their own health, adding that the true measure of the continent’s success lies in its ability to reach the most vulnerable members of its communities.

The President urged African leaders to commit to concrete actions and policies that would drive positive change in healthcare delivery within their respective countries and regions, declaring: “Together, we can build a prosperous, healthier, more equitable future, for all Africans, in line with Agenda 2063.”

Abdullah Bello, Edited By Grace Namiji