Geneva – Eswatini’s Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula has called on African states to break free from donor dependency and build health systems that are African-led, African-financed, and African-accountable.
He made the call during a side meeting on Global Public Health and Primary Health Care at the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, hosted jointly with Zimbabwe and South Africa. Matsebula also spoke in his capacity as Chairperson of the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community.
The minister did not mince his words on the state of health funding across the continent, saying: “Chronic underfunding of Public Health and Primary Health Care is the single most corrosive force undermining our health systems. Domestic budgets remain far below the Abuja Declaration’s 15% target.”
He told delegates that the time for change had come, adding: “We cannot build health sovereignty on donor dependency. The time for African-led, African-financed, and African-accountable health systems is now.”
On the role of regional bodies, he said: “Regional bodies like the ECSA-Health Community are the connective tissue between national action and global commitments. We amplify small states, facilitate south-south learning, and manage cross-border health threats collectively.”
Speaking on behalf of Eswatini and the ECSA region, Minister Matsebula made five concrete calls to member states. He called for domestic health investment to be ring-fenced and treated as a sovereign priority rather than a residual budget line, saying innovative and accountable financing mechanisms are urgently needed.
He called on African nations to own their supply chains, build local manufacturing capacity, retain their health workforce, and govern their own health data, saying external solidarity must enable sovereignty and not perpetuate dependency.
The minister also called for a recommitment to Primary Health Care, describing it as the most cost-effective and equitable foundation for Universal Health Coverage, saying every dollar invested in community care returns in manifold by strengthening resilience and preparedness.
Matsebula further called on all member states, regional bodies, civil society, and the private sector to join the Africa and Global PHC Coalition, saying Eswatini strongly endorses the initiative.
His fifth call was for the WHA79 Communiqué to carry operational specificity strong enough to hold member states accountable and chart a credible roadmap toward achieving Universal Health Coverage under SDG3 by 2030.
The side meeting was held under the theme “Investing Better and Investing More in Health Equity, Solidarity, and Sovereignty.”
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