President John Dramani Mahama has announced the launch of the SUSTAIN Initiative, an ambitious African-led platform aimed at aligning national budgets with health priorities while attracting sovereign, diaspora, and philanthropic capital to support sustainable healthcare systems across the continent.
Speaking at the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit in Accra on Tuesday, August 5, the President said the Scaling Up Sovereign Transition and Institutional Networks (SUSTAIN) Initiative is a bold step towards redefining the continent’s role in global health governance.
“This is a bold, African-led platform,” Mahama said, “that will align national budgets with health priorities; mobilise sovereign, diaspora, and philanthropic capital; and foster cross-border learning, innovation, and accountability.”
The initiative forms part of President Mahama’s broader vision for African health sovereignty, where countries lead with their own vision and capacity, rather than relying solely on donor-driven models.
“SUSTAIN will be a catalyst for transforming how we invest in and manage healthcare across the continent,” he added.
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The announcement comes at a time when development assistance for health is declining, and Mahama has stressed the need for African countries to take ownership of their health agendas. He said the SUSTAIN Initiative will support that shift by creating an ecosystem for innovation, partnership, and sustainable funding that empowers African nations to build resilient health systems.
Mahama extended an invitation to all African countries and partners to join the platform and be part of a movement “driven by purpose, powered by equity, and anchored in sovereignty.”
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The initiative was unveiled alongside the Presidential High-Level Taskforce on Global Health Governance, another major step Mahama announced during the summit to reset the continent’s role in shaping the global health order.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
