President John Dramani Mahama, serving as the African Union Champion for Financial Institutions, on Tuesday convened a high-level side event at the ongoing 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80) in New York.
The dialogue, themed “Accra Reset – Reimagining Global Health, Resetting Global Development,” focused on building resilient health systems and rethinking global development priorities.
The event attracted an array of influential global leaders. Among those in attendance were Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados; former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who co-convened the meeting; former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown; WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; African Ministers of Health; GAVI CEO Dr. Sania Nishtar, and several other international policymakers and development partners.
In his opening remarks, President Mahama underscored the urgency of a collective rethink on how the world approaches health and development financing.
“The Accra Reset is about fairness, equity, and resilience. We must reimagine global health financing in a way that strengthens systems, especially in Africa, and ensures no one is left behind,” he emphasized.
Co-convenor, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, praised the initiative as timely, noting that the world continues to grapple with vulnerabilities exposed by recent global crises.
“This reset is not just about Africa, it is about humanity. The time has come for a new global compact on health and development,” he said.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados also lent her voice, stressing the link between climate, health, and development.
“Our resilience is interconnected. Small island states and African nations must stand together in demanding a fairer global financial and health architecture,” she declared.
Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown highlighted the financing gap in achieving universal health coverage and called for bold measures to mobilize resources for vulnerable countries.
The presence of the WHO, WTO, GAVI, and several African ministers added weight to the gathering, as participants committed to advancing concrete actions that align with the Accra Reset agenda.
The event concluded with a call for innovative partnerships, sustainable financing mechanisms, and a renewed spirit of multilateral cooperation to drive global health equity and reset the trajectory of development.
Story: Patrick Asford Boadu
