President John Mahama has called on African leaders to move “from talk to action” in building resilient health systems across the continent.

He warned that rising debt burdens are undermining investments in healthcare, education, and agriculture.

In a Facebook post on May 13, following his participation at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, President Mahama said Africa cannot achieve “health sovereignty” while a significant share of national revenues is consumed by debt servicing.

The President said he co-chaired a high-level session on “Rethinking global health and building resilient national health systems,” during which he stressed the urgent need for African countries to adopt practical, coordinated measures to strengthen their healthcare systems.

“We cannot achieve health sovereignty when the heavy burden of debt stifles our progress,” Mahama wrote.

“When a nation spends 50 per cent of its revenue on debt servicing, the capacity to invest in health, education, and agriculture is severely diminished.”

President Mahama linked the challenge to the creation of the “Accra Reset,” which he described as a framework to build a united African compact capable of delivering meaningful outcomes for citizens across the continent.

According to him, the initiative is intended to help African countries work collectively to address structural challenges affecting development and public health resilience.

The President also called for stronger collaboration among governments, the private sector, and international development partners, arguing that fragmented approaches have weakened the continent’s ability to respond effectively to health and economic crises.

“Achieving this requires unity. We must move away from fragmentation and bring everyone, including the state parties, the private sector, and international partners, into the same boat,” he stated.

President Mahama insisted that the Accra Reset is not designed to isolate African countries from global partnerships, but rather to ensure more strategic and effective cooperation that strengthens national health systems and protects citizens.

“The Accra Reset is not about isolationism; it is about working more effectively and strategically with our partners to ensure that our health systems are resilient and our people are protected,” he added.

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Mahama promotes 'Accra Reset' at Africa Forward Summit, warns debt affects health systems

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