President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday held high-level discussions with senior United Nations health officials at the Jubilee House, reaffirming Ghana’s commitment to strengthening Africa’s health systems and advancing health sovereignty across the continent.
The President received Madam Winnie Byanyima, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNAIDS, and Madam Joy Phumaphi, Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), as Ghana hosts the African Union Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government on Universal Health Coverage.
The meeting focused on deepening cooperation to improve public health, strengthen immunisation systems, and intensify efforts to combat HIV/AIDS and malaria across Africa.
President Mahama briefed the delegation on the Accra Reset, the Africa-led initiative he launched in 2025 to reshape the global health and development architecture by promoting equity, self-reliance and sustainable partnerships.
He explained that the initiative seeks to move African countries and other Global South nations away from traditional aid dependency towards multidimensional sovereignty.
The President stressed that Africa must take greater responsibility for its healthcare future by investing in local pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing to guarantee reliable access to life-saving medicines and vaccines.
He also highlighted Ghana’s ongoing efforts to expand access to healthcare through the Free Primary Health Care (FPHC) Programme, describing it as a major pillar of the government’s strategy to achieve Universal Health Coverage.
According to President Mahama, the programme enables every Ghanaian to access free essential healthcare services at primary healthcare facilities, including Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds and polyclinics, without the need for a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) card.
Madam Winnie Byanyima commended President Mahama for his leadership in advancing health sovereignty both in Africa and globally, describing his commitment to equitable healthcare and locally driven health solutions as critical to improving health outcomes across the continent.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the African Union Extraordinary Summit on Universal Health Coverage, which Ghana is hosting in Accra from July 21 to 22, 2026.
Held under the theme, “Advancing Justice, Equity and Universal Health Coverage: Ending AIDS, TB, Improving Maternal Health, Addressing Endemic Non-Communicable and Neglected Tropical Diseases and Conditions in Africa,” the summit has brought together African Heads of State and Government, Ministers of Health, Finance and Foreign Affairs, officials of the African Union Commission, Regional Economic Communities, development partners, civil society organisations, youth representatives and private sector stakeholders.
The summit is expected to adopt key decisions aimed at strengthening Africa’s health systems, accelerating Universal Health Coverage, and intensifying efforts to end AIDS and tuberculosis, reduce maternal mortality, and tackle non-communicable and neglected tropical diseases across the continent.
Story: Patrick Asford Boadu
