AUC Chairperson: Africa’s Health Sovereignty Hinges on Stronger Domestic Investment and Local Manufacturing

Addis Ababa, July 22, 2026 (FMC) — African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said Africa’s health sovereignty depends on stronger domestic financing, expanded local manufacturing of medicines and vaccines, robust regulatory systems, increased investment in research and innovation, and sustained political leadership.

Delivering the keynote address at the Extraordinary Session of the African Union Assembly on Africa’s Health in Accra, Ghana, Youssouf called for a decisive shift from commitments to implementation, urging African Union member states to translate the Accra Declaration and national health pledges into measurable action.

He said the AU Roadmap to 2030 and Beyond serves as Africa’s implementation framework for ending AIDS, eliminating preventable maternal and child deaths, combating communicable and non-communicable diseases, strengthening resilient health systems, and advancing universal health coverage across the continent.

The AUC Chairperson stressed that delivering on these priorities requires African countries to strengthen domestic investment in healthcare, expand local pharmaceutical and vaccine production, reinforce regulatory institutions, promote research and innovation, and sustain high-level political commitment.

Youssouf emphasized that the legacy of the summit would ultimately be measured not by the speeches delivered, but by whether African leaders succeed in changing the trajectory of health outcomes across the continent through concrete action.

The Extraordinary Session, hosted by Ghana and chaired by Burundi in its capacity as Chair of the African Union, brought together African Heads of State and Government, senior policymakers, development partners and other stakeholders to advance collective efforts toward ending AIDS and tuberculosis, improving maternal and child health, strengthening resilient health systems, and accelerating universal health coverage in Africa.

The summit forms part of the African Union’s broader drive to accelerate implementation of continental health priorities under the AU Roadmap to 2030 and Beyond, with a renewed focus on strengthening Africa’s capacity to respond to current and emerging public health challenges through sustainable, homegrown solutions.