The Chief Executive Officer of Bloom Public Health, Professor Chimezie Anyakora, has called on African governments to urgently prioritise investment in local healthcare systems.
Speaking after participating in the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Anyakora said Africa can no longer afford to depend heavily on foreign aid and imported healthcare solutions.
The global health gathering, themed: “Reshaping Global Health: A Shared Responsibility,” focused on pandemic preparedness, healthcare delivery during conflicts and crises, artificial intelligence in healthcare, misinformation and the global healthcare financing crisis, among others.
According to Anyakora, one of the major lessons from the Assembly was the urgent need for Africa to take ownership of its healthcare future.
“For too long we have allowed the health of our population to be outsourced. With the new reality, things are changing fast and Africans are beginning to take charge of their health,” he said.
The public health expert stressed the need for immediate investment in local production of therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines to strengthen pandemic preparedness across the continent.
“We need to have therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines manufactured locally. We also need stronger systems capable of absorbing shocks associated with pandemics. The investments should start now and governments need to support this,” he stated.
He also urged African nations to continue strengthening healthcare systems despite insecurity and humanitarian crises affecting parts of the continent.
“We cannot wait until there is an absence of crisis to wake up. In spite of insecurity and instability, we have to do all we can,” he said.
Anyakora noted that Bloom Public Health has continued to advocate self-sufficiency in medicines, vaccines and diagnostics across Africa and currently operates in eight African countries.
He added that the organisation is also supporting the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) in pandemic preparedness initiatives.
On Artificial Intelligence, he described AI as a transformative tool capable of accelerating healthcare access, diagnostics and Universal Health Coverage across underserved African communities.
“AI has come to stay. We have to see it as a tool to achieve much more. We are already in partnerships where AI is being utilised for radiology and other health interventions,” he said.
The professor also warned against the growing danger of misinformation and disinformation, particularly around vaccines.
“Misinformation has done more harm than many epidemics. Vaccine misinformation remains a major challenge leading to deaths from preventable diseases,” he warned.
Speaking on healthcare financing, Anyakora said African governments must begin to see healthcare as a strategic investment rather than rely heavily on donor support.
“We cannot continue to rely on foreign aid to solve key health problems. Health should be prioritised just like roads and bridges,” he stated.
He further emphasised the critical role of the private sector in ensuring sustainable healthcare delivery across Africa.
“Private sector holds the key to sustainability in Africa’s healthcare. Health should be seen as a business otherwise it is not sustainable,” he explained.
Looking ahead, Anyakora said Africa must prepare for a future where donor funding becomes increasingly limited, making domestic resource mobilisation and cost-effective healthcare delivery more important than ever.
“The era of free money is gradually going away. We have to be more innovative in deploying healthcare projects,” he added.
