By The Weekly Vision Reporter
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has called for bold, African-led strategies to tackle the continent’s health challenges. Speaking during the Inaugural Africa Health Summit in Kampala, held under the theme
“Reclaiming Africa’s Health Future: From Dependency to Sovereignty through Innovation and Solidarity”, where he was the chief guest, Kingi emphasised that Africa must move beyond diagnosing problems to delivering solutions at scale.
“We must not only diagnose the challenges, but also prescribe the solutions, and most importantly, implement them,” he said, urging African scientists to innovate on African soil. He further stressed the need for sustainable domestic health financing, highlighting opportunities through capital markets, sovereign funds, and public–private partnerships.
Delivering a keynote address, Dr Abdourahmane Diallo, WHO Director of Programme Management, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to building sovereign and sustainable health systems across Africa. His message was clear: “Africa’s health systems must be designed, led, and owned by Africa. If we can transform a hospital, we can transform a continent. If we can save one life, we can inspire millions.” Dr Diallo called on leaders to build enduring systems, thriving communities, and lasting solutions.
Uganda’s Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, underscored the importance of strengthening health systems to ensure accessibility, equity, and quality, both for primary healthcare and specialised services. She emphasised community engagement as a cornerstone for informed health decisions and advocated for the widespread dissemination of health information.
The summit brought together high-level delegates, including Uganda’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Thomas Tayebwa, and Minister of Science and Technology, Hon Monica Musenero, alongside representatives from Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Kenya, as well as policymakers, researchers, health professionals, private-sector actors, civil society, and development partners.
It served as a continental platform for strategic dialogue, showcasing African-led innovations and generating actionable commitments to advance health sovereignty, resilience, and equity. The event concluded with the Heroes in Health Award, Uganda’s flagship recognition platform established in 2019 to celebrate individuals, institutions, innovations, services, products, and programmes that make outstanding contributions to healthcare delivery and outcomes in Uganda.
