Thediggernews Intelligence Unit
As African health ministers gather in Lusaka for the 75th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, the continent’s health systems face a convergence of crises that threaten their very foundation with an urgent and pressing need for action.
In a reflection titled “Despite Global Headwinds, WHO’s Africa Meeting Agenda is Narrow and Technical”, Okereke, Chief Programme Officer at Reaching the Last Mile, argues that the continent’s fragile health infrastructure is being battered by a perfect storm of systemic threats-ranging from ballooning debt obligations and escalating climate-induced disasters to shrinking donor support and a mass exodus of health professionals, the pressures are mounting—and the consequences could be nothing short of catastrophic.
RC75, hosted in Lusaka from August 25–27, brings together ministers from 47 African countries, over 500 delegates, and top WHO leadership, including Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus and newly appointed Regional Director Prof. Mohamed Janabi.
The agenda includes discussions on oral health, rehabilitation, malaria, and emergency preparedness. But Okereke warns that the focus on technical issues risks missing the forest for the trees.
She further emphasises that the Lusaka meeting is a crucial opportunity for WHO AFRO and its ministers to demonstrate their ability to address the systemic issues that determine the successful implementation of technical resolutions.
According to Okereke, the African continent is currently entangled in a debt trap and climate fallout, with African governments projected to spend over $80 billion on debt servicing in 2025—an amount that dwarfs health allocations in many countries.
This financial imbalance, she argues, is undermining the continent’s ability to respond to surging outbreaks of cholera, Ebola, and mpox, which have increased by over 40% since 2022, often exacerbated by climate-related disasters.
Meanwhile, donor retreat and cuts in official development assistance are widening financing gaps, leaving ministries struggling to maintain basic services.
Okereke also identified the issues of workforce drain and Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) burden. The migration of health professionals abroad continues to hollow out local systems, while the rising burden of NCDs adds pressure to already overstretched facilities. Okereke notes that WHO itself is constrained by shrinking funding and global politics, but insists it can still play a pivotal role.
“WHO can help countries navigate these realities by framing health as integral to debt sustainability and elevating climate resilience, workforce retention, and NCD prevention as urgent priorities,” she said.
These frameworks, including the New Public Health Order, Lusaka Agenda, and Accra Initiative, offer potential solutions and strategies for reform. The question, however, remains: Will RC75 be a turning point in addressing the existential threats facing Africa’s health systems, or will it be another symbolic gathering?
Okereke concludes by emphasising that the future of Africa’s health is at stake, and the decisions made at RC75 could have far-reaching consequences.
What’s at Stake