Ethiopia Calls for African Health Sovereignty as Leaders Seek Self-Reliant Financing

Addis Ababa, July 22, 2026 (ENA) —Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh has called on African countries to seize the current moment as a historic opportunity to build self-reliant, resilient, and sustainable health systems increasingly financed through the continent’s own resources.

“We are at a historic moment to build Africa’s health systems relying on our own financial capacity,” Temesgen said while attending the Extraordinary Summit of African Union Heads of State and Government on Health in Accra, Ghana.

The summit, held from July 21–22, brings together African heads of state and government, health ministers, policymakers, and development partners to chart a new course for the continent’s health sector amid shifting global health financing realities.

Addressing the summit, Temesgen shared Ethiopia’s experiences.

The Deputy PM also  reaffirmed the country’s commitment to supporting continental efforts to strengthen health systems and improve public health outcomes.

 

He said the decline in external aid, while presenting significant challenges, also offers Africa an opportunity to accelerate efforts toward greater health sovereignty by building systems rooted in domestic capacity, ownership, and sustainable financing.

“For decades, nearly seventy percent of international development assistance came from a single partner. That era has come to an end. For Africa, the consequences are immediate. In many of our countries, external partners financed more than one-fifth of total health spending. This is a serious challenge. But it is also an opportunity,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

The summit is expected to advance a continental roadmap aimed at eliminating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria as public health threats by 2030, while accelerating efforts to end preventable maternal and child deaths and expand universal health coverage.

Highlighting Ethiopia’s experience, Temesgen said the country is on track to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat, with progress driven in large part by its Health Extension Program.

 

“Ethiopia is on track to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat. This progress has been driven by our Health Extension Program, supported by more than 42,000 frontline health workers, most of them women.

 They have brought HIV testing, counseling, tuberculosis treatment, and follow-up care directly into communities. They have reduced stigma, improved treatment adherence, and helped drive down new infections,” he said.

African leaders and stakeholders are also deliberating on strategies to address communicable and non-communicable diseases, expand local pharmaceutical manufacturing, strengthen health institutions, and develop sustainable financing mechanisms capable of supporting resilient health systems.

A key priority of the summit is the development of a sustainable health-financing roadmap that promotes African ownership, self-reliance, and stronger domestic capacity to address the continent’s health priorities.

Temesgen said Ethiopia was sharing its experiences, grounded in the principle of self-reliance, to contribute to Africa’s shared health goals.

 

“Africa has the knowledge, institutions, and experience needed to build a strong, self-driven health system. What we need now is the political will to translate this into concrete action,” he said.

He reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to working with the African Union, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and member states to advance the continent’s health agenda.

“We remain fully committed to working with all member states to implement the African Union Roadmap to 2030 and to build a healthier, more prosperous Africa,” the Deputy Prime Minister affirmed.

 

The Extraordinary Summit comes as African leaders seek to transform the continent’s health systems from heavy dependence on external support toward greater domestic ownership, sustainable financing, and long-term resilience.