African Health Ministers Meet in Addis Ababa to Set Priorities for Continent’s Health Future

ADDIS ABABA — Health ministers from 47 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region are gathered in Addis Ababa for the 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, where they are expected to deliberate on key health policies and priorities for the continent.

The three-day meeting, which opened today, brings together health ministers, senior government officials, development partners and technical experts to assess progress in improving health systems and consider strategies to address emerging challenges.

Opening the meeting, Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie called for greater African cooperation and sustained investment in resilient health systems.

He urged African countries to pursue greater ownership and integration in addressing health challenges, while translating commitments into practical and measurable action.

Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Dr Mekdes Daba, said African countries must build sustainable health systems capable of responding to a changing health environment.

She highlighted persistent inequalities, limited resources, emerging technologies, climate-related challenges, demographic changes and increasingly complex health emergencies as some of the issues facing the region.

WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, said the meeting represented a shared commitment by African countries to develop stronger, more resilient and self-reliant health systems through collective action and African-led solutions.

Among the key issues on the agenda is sustainable health financing, with ministers expected to consider strategies aimed at helping countries mobilise and use resources more effectively for health.

They will also consider the Africa Health Workforce Agenda 2026–2035, which seeks to support countries in training, employing and retaining health workers to address workforce shortages across the continent.

Another priority is early childhood development, with a proposed regional strategy aimed at ensuring children receive stronger support during the critical early years of life.

The ministers are also expected to discuss stronger regulation of medical products and measures to improve health security and emergency preparedness.

The discussions come as the Democratic Republic of Congo responds to its largest Ebola outbreak. Ministers will therefore examine a regional framework designed to strengthen national emergency medical teams and enable countries to respond more quickly to disease outbreaks, disasters and other public health emergencies.

The meeting will further consider measures to protect Africa’s progress in the fight against polio by maintaining surveillance systems, laboratories, skilled personnel and emergency response capacity developed through decades of eradication efforts.

Improving the use of health data is another major focus. Delegates will consider a proposed Regional Health Data Hub intended to help countries identify health threats earlier, better target resources and make evidence-based decisions.

Meanwhile ,Dr Mekdes Daba, Ethiopia's Minister of Health, was elected  chairperson of the 76th Regional Committee for Africa RC76AFRO.She will be deputised by Colonel-Major Garba Hakimi, minister of public health from Niger, and Zimbabwe minister of health,Dr Douglas Mombeshora.