Addis Ababa, September 6, 2025 (FMC) — Africa and the Caribbean must strengthen their capacity to protect the health and well-being of their people by building resilient and self-reliant health systems, a senior Ethiopian official has urged.
The Second Africa–Caribbean Health Ministers’ Meeting opened today in Addis Ababa under the theme “Forward Together: One Voice, One Future.”
In his remarks, Ethiopia’s Prosperity Party Vice President and Head of the Democratic System Building Center with the rank of Deputy Prime Minister, Adem Farah, reminded participants that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of global systems and the risks of inequitable access to critical medical supplies.
“We cannot build prosperous economies on the foundation of fragile health systems. By investing in primary health care, we establish the strongest foundation of all,” he said.
Adem emphasized that prevention must begin at the community level, where trust is nurtured and the promise of universal health care is delivered in the daily lives of people. He underscored the importance of empowering community health workers and leveraging digital innovations to ensure equitable, affordable, and high-quality services—delivered as a matter of justice, not charity.
He also underlined that financing is central to this vision. Health, he said, should not be regarded as an expense but as the most vital investment in a nation’s people, productivity, stability, and future. Mobilizing domestic resources, developing innovative financing mechanisms, and pressing for fairness in global development financing were cited as key steps forward.
Finally, Adem highlighted that Africa and the Caribbean, despite contributing the least to the climate crisis, remain among the most affected regions. “Together, we must lead the call for climate justice, ensuring that commitments are matched with concrete action and resources,” he concluded.