African Health Ministers Meet in Lusaka to Chart Future of Regional Health

African ministers of health have officially opened the Seventy-fifth Session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa (RC75) in Lusaka, Zambia. Running from 25 to 27 August 2025, the meeting brings together health leaders from 47 African countries, alongside global partners, to deliberate on strategies and endorse resolutions that will shape the continent’s health agenda.

The WHO Regional Committee for Africa is the highest decision-making body on health in Africa, and this year’s session comes at a pivotal moment, as countries confront multiple overlapping crises—from the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic to persistent gaps in funding, workforce shortages, and fragile health systems.

President Hichilema: “Health Must Drive Prosperity”

Opening the session, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema stressed that Africa must leverage the hard lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen health diplomacy, address inequalities, and harmonize public health regulations across the region.

“Health is not just about survival—it must be positioned as a driver of regional trade and industrialization. We must collaborate and commit to humanity in making decisions that enhance health and well-being across Africa,” President Hichilema said.

Zambia Calls for United Action

Echoing the call, Zambian Minister of Health Dr Elijah Muchima underscored that Africa’s health threats cannot be solved by nations working alone.

“The complexities of today’s health threats demand that we stand united. No single nation can overcome these challenges in isolation. We must deepen regional collaboration, share best practices, harness African expertise and innovation, and build long-term resilience across borders,” Muchima said.

He noted that the outcomes of RC75 will guide collective action toward a secure, equitable, and sustainable future for all Africans.

WHO Leadership: A Turning Point for Africa

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Lusaka meeting was a crucial opportunity to chart a sustainable health future for Africa.

“WHO is working in lockstep with African nations to overcome financial and security challenges while capitalizing on the continent’s immense potential. Our goal is clear: to support Member States in building robust national health systems grounded in self-reliance and committed to delivering health for all,” Dr Tedros stated.

WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, reinforced the message, urging countries to see health as an investment rather than a cost.

“We must reframe health not as a cost, but as a cornerstone of prosperity. We must build systems that are efficient, inclusive and sovereign, and we must place people—especially the most vulnerable—at the centre of every policy, programme and partnership,” Janabi said.

Key Issues on the Agenda

Over the next three days, ministers and delegates will debate and adopt resolutions on several urgent health priorities:

• Oral health: A resolution to fast-track services, neglected for decades, ensuring better coverage by 2030.

• Blood shortages: A new strategy to modernize blood supply systems and boost voluntary donations to save mothers, children, and patients with sickle cell disease.

• Rehabilitation services: Expanding access, as two-thirds of Africans needing rehabilitation currently lack services.

• Women, children, and adolescents: Transforming care in a region still accounting for 70% of global maternal deaths.

• Malaria response: Accelerating progress against a disease that continues to claim thousands of lives.

• Health workforce: Addressing Africa’s critical shortage, which stands at less than half the global standard.

• Health security: Strengthening early detection, crisis response, and preparedness in a region that recorded over 250 public health events in 2024 alone.

Laying Foundations for a Healthier Africa

The Lusaka gathering is expected to set the continent’s health priorities for years to come, guiding policies that will strengthen systems, reduce inequalities, and enhance resilience to future crises.

As leaders wrapped up the first day, the shared message was clear: Africa’s future prosperity depends on health systems that are accountable, inclusive, and people-centred. The resolutions adopted this week will serve as a roadmap to make health not only a human right but also a driver of development and economic transformation.