Civil society demands people-first health reforms at Nairobi summit

Rosemary Mburu, WACI Health (Kenya) Executive Director: “You cannot drive Africa forward without strengthening health systems."

Civil society groups have urged leaders meeting at the Africa Forward Summit to put people and stronger health systems at the centre of new partnerships between the continent and global partners.

The call was made ahead of the summit co-hosted by President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron in Nairobi.

The meeting brings together more than 30 African leaders, investors and development partners to discuss trade, finance, technology, agriculture and health cooperation.

At a briefing organised by WACI Health, Rosemary Mburu, the organisation’s executive director, said Africa cannot talk about sovereignty and development while millions of people still struggle to access quality healthcare.

“You cannot drive Africa forward without strengthening health systems, and you cannot speak about health without putting people at the centre,” Mburu said. “Sovereignty is a pathway with milestones, and solidarity means partners journeying with African nations along that pathway guided by national priorities, not isolation.”

More than 100 civil society organisations from 32 countries signed the statement titled “No Health Sovereignty Without People-Centred Partnerships.”

The groups want African governments and international partners to increase investments in healthcare, strengthen local production of medicines and vaccines, and ensure communities are involved in decisions affecting health systems.

The statement comes at a time when African countries are facing major funding pressures in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

According to the groups, the Global Fund’s 2025 replenishment raised $12.64 billion, falling below the $18 billion target needed to sustain programmes fighting the three diseases. They warned that recent cuts in international aid have already disrupted treatment, caused medicine shortages and placed more pressure on poor families.

Mburu said Africa must reduce dependence on unpredictable foreign funding by increasing domestic investment in health.

Kenya has recently pushed for stronger local financing of healthcare as part of reforms under the Social Health Authority. Last month, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the government wants to reduce reliance on external support and increase investments in digital health, primary healthcare and local manufacturing of health products.

The Africa Forward Summit has identified resilient health systems and health sovereignty as one of its major themes. Organisers say the summit aims to create a more equal partnership between Africa and France while encouraging investments and innovation.

The summit’s outcome document, the Nairobi Declaration, is expected to feed into discussions at the upcoming G7 Summit in France next month.

Modou Lamin B. Bah, a Gambian legislator and chairperson of the Network of African Parliamentary Committees on Health, said African leaders must ensure summit promises produce visible changes for ordinary citizens.

“African parliaments are watching this Summit closely. We want to see results translate into functioning clinics and mothers who survive childbirth,” he said. “Sovereignty cannot be declared from a podium. It has to be legislated and accounted for at home.”

Civil society organisations also warned against excluding communities from major global health decisions.

Carol Nawina Nyirenda, executive director of the Zambia-based Community Initiative for Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Malaria, said communities want real improvements in their daily lives, not just new political language.

“When our African leaders commit to sovereignty, and partners such as France commit to equitable partnerships, communities are not looking for new language. We are looking for a real change in our daily lives,” she said. “The true test for the Summit is simple – will a woman in our community still have to choose between her health and her livelihood?”

The summit also comes as African leaders continue to push for reforms in global financing systems to make it easier and cheaper for African countries to borrow and invest in development.