African governments have been urged by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to harness the continent’s annual US$95 billion in diaspora remittances towards supporting national health priorities, as part of a broader push for sustainable and sovereign health financing.
The call is part of a new continent-wide strategy launched by the Africa CDC, aimed at radically transforming how health systems are financed and putting African resources at the centre of African health.
According to a statement released on Friday, the strategy comes amid a projected 70% drop in external health aid to Africa between 2021 and 2025, coupled with a 41% increase in disease outbreaks from 2022 to 2024—an alarming trend putting immense pressure on already overstretched health systems.
Meeting the Abuja Declaration goal
As part of the strategy, Africa CDC is also urging governments to meet the Abuja Declaration target of allocating at least 15% of national budgets to health.
- The strategy introduces several innovative financing mechanisms to bridge existing funding gaps. These include solidarity levies on airline tickets, alcohol, and mobile services.
- Additionally, the strategy proposes tapping into Africa’s US$95 billion in annual diaspora remittances to support national health priorities.
“This strategy is not about aid—it’s about ownership,” said Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC. “Africa cannot continue outsourcing its health security. We are building a future where Africa invests in its people, drives its own health agenda, and responds to crises with speed, strength, and self-reliance.”
“This is a call to mobilize Africa’s own wealth and ingenuity,” Dr. Kaseya added. “We have the resources—we just need the commitment to channel them toward health and wellbeing.”
Phased implementation of the strategy
The Africa CDC also announced that implementation of the new health financing strategy will be phased to ensure sustainability and impact.
- Phase 1 (2025–2026) will focus on updating national health financing plans in 30 countries, piloting innovative revenue-generating mechanisms, and launching transparency dashboards to track funding flows and improve accountability.
- Phase 2 (2026–2030) will scale up successful approaches, with the goal of enabling at least 20 countries to finance 50% or more of their health budgets through sustainable domestic sources.
African health financing scorecard
To support effective implementation, Africa CDC plans to introduce a new African Health Financing Scorecard. This tool will help monitor progress, improve the efficiency of domestic health spending, and enhance donor alignment with national priorities.
“The decline in donor funding is a wake-up call,” the Africa CDC warned in its statement. “Without urgent reform, Africa risks losing decades of hard-won progress in disease control, maternal care, and epidemic preparedness.”
Backed by strong political momentum from the African Union and supported by existing regional coordination mechanisms, the strategy represents a significant shift toward health independence across the continent.
It reflects a bold vision where Africa takes charge of its own future by investing in the health of its people through sustainable, sovereign solutions.
