Addis Ababa, August 29, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative is contributing to a healthier generation by supporting a cleaner environment, strengthening climate resilience and addressing health risks associated with climate change, Executive Director of the African Constituency Bureau (ACB) for the Global Fund Henry Fomundam said.
Fomundam made the remarks following the conclusion of the 76th Session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa in Addis Ababa, which brought together African, regional, continental and global health leaders.
The forum highlighted Ethiopia’s efforts to develop a digital and artificial intelligence-supported health system, describing the initiative as a model for African countries in disease prevention and treatment.
It also highlighted Ethiopia’s achievement of planting more than 50 billion seedlings under the Green Legacy Initiative, with the program contributing to agricultural productivity, medicinal plant production and climate resilience.
Speaking to local news agency ENA on the sidelines of the forum, Fomundam said cooperation is essential to building strong and sustainable health systems across Africa.
He said Africa’s knowledge, natural resources and human capital provide the continent with the capacity to build strong health institutions of its own through modernized health financing and management systems.
Fomundam said the Green Legacy Initiative can help reduce health problems associated with climate change while contributing to improved life expectancy.
He noted that Ethiopia, as a leading African country in large-scale tree planting through the initiative, is making a significant contribution to creating a healthier generation living in a cleaner environment.
Fomundam stressed that African countries should develop their health systems through their own capabilities while maintaining partnerships with external stakeholders on an equal footing, rather than allowing such relationships to remain based on a donor-recipient model.
He further emphasized that strengthening Africa’s health sovereignty and self-reliance would not only reinforce the continent’s health systems but also enhance its economic and political standing and global competitiveness.
Fomundam also identified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as an important opportunity to establish stronger linkages among pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturing industries across the continent.