Africa CDC unveils health financing strategy amid aid decline

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says it has inaugurated a comprehensive strategy aimed at transforming health financing in Africa.

The Director-General of Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, in a statement on Friday, said this is a move to secure the future of health systems across the continent.

According to Mr Kaseya, the strategy comes amid projections that external health aid will plummet by 70 per cent in 2025, prompting urgent action to address a growing health crisis.

“The Africa CDC’s strategy responds to a staggering 41 per cent increase in disease outbreaks recorded between 2022 and 2024, which has put immense pressure on already strained health systems,” he said.

He stressed the urgent need for reform, stating, that Africa cannot continue outsourcing its health security.

“This strategy is not about aid, it is about ownership,” he said.

He said that this innovative framework prioritised African resources, and called on governments to fulfill the Abuja Declaration by committing at least 15 per cent of their national budgets to health.

Mr Kaseya said that the strategy introduced novel financing ideas, including solidarity levies on airline tickets and mobile services, and aimed to mobilise Africa’s $95 billion in annual diaspora remittances to support health priorities.

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“The implementation of this strategy will be in two phases, with the first phase from 2025 to 2026 focusing on updating national health financing plans in 30 countries and piloting new revenue mechanisms,” he said.

“The second phase, running from 2026 to 2030, aims to enable, at least, 20 countries to finance over 50 per cent of their health budgets through sustainable domestic sources.”

To ensure effective monitoring and accountability, Mr Kaseya said that this would introduce a new African Health Financing Scorecard designed to track progress and improve efficiency in health spending.

He said that the strategic initiative marked a critical turning point in Africa’s journey toward health independence and self-reliance, establishing a framework for a healthier future for the continent.

(NAN)