BY Michelle Ndaga
Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aden Duale has called on African nations to adopt sustainable health financing models, warning against the continent’s continued dependence on external aid.
Speaking during a side event at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), Duale stressed that Africa must take ownership of its health systems through innovative financing frameworks aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the African Health Strategy 2016–2030.
Highlighting Kenya’s experience, the CS outlined three central pillars of reform: domestic resource mobilization, universal health coverage, and public–private partnerships. He said that increased domestic investment, creative financing mechanisms, regional cooperation, accountability, and efficiency were critical to securing sustainable healthcare delivery across the continent.
“Health financing in Africa must move beyond intent to action,” Duale emphasized, urging governments to prioritize long-term funding strategies that strengthen health systems and reduce vulnerability to donor fluctuations.
He further proposed the creation of Africa–Japan health financing accelerators, designed to draw lessons from Japan’s success in achieving universal health coverage and adapt them to African contexts.
The CS concluded that sustainable health financing is not just a technical goal but “both a moral and political imperative” necessary for advancing Africa’s health, security, and shared prosperity.
