Health Minister urges long-term investment in health systems at Africa summit 2025

At the 2025 Africa Health Sovereignty Summit held in Accra, health-sector leaders and policymakers, including Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Ghana’s Minister of Health, have renewed calls for long-term, sustainable investment in national health systems. The summit brought together African stakeholders to chart a course toward resilient, equitable and sovereign healthcare delivery.

In his keynote address, Minister Akandoh stressed the critical importance of strong data systems that reflect Africa’s unique public-health realities. According to him, robust data collection and management, tailored to local contexts, are fundamental to designing, monitoring and evaluating effective health interventions.

He further highlighted supply-chain sovereignty for essential medicines and diagnostics as a key priority. Ensuring local production of medical supplies, and reducing reliance on imports, were described as vital to guarding against external disruptions and guaranteeing timely access to care.

The Minister argued that investments in telemedicine, diagnostic capacity, emergency logistics, and public-private partnerships (PPPs) could transform Ghana’s health sector. He noted that funding health should not be viewed merely as expenditure, but as strategic investment in national stability, productivity and long-term wellbeing.

Summit participants underscored that health systems are not just for pandemics or crises; they must be continually nurtured and adapted. Many praised the summit’s focus on sovereignty, a concept that champions African-led solutions rather than dependency on external donors. Experts said this shift could help build health systems capable of withstanding future shocks, from climate change to disease outbreaks.

For Ghana, these calls come at a crucial time. As the country repositions under its current administration, commitment to long-term health infrastructure, improved data governance, and localised supply chains reflect a strategic ambition to transform health delivery from campaign-based fixes to sustainable systems.

The summit concluded with a shared message: African nations must own their health destiny. As Minister Akandoh put it, “Resilience begins at home.” For many health advocates, that means investing today in hospitals, data, supply chains and training, to safeguard tomorrow’s generations.