Former President Dr Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete has called on African governments to translate health commitments into adequately funded programmes that deliver measurable improvements in people’s lives. 

Speaking at a High-Level Interactive Policy Dialogue held alongside the African Union Extraordinary Summit on Health in Accra on 20 July 2026, Dr Kikwete said Africa must reduce its reliance on external donors by strengthening domestic health financing, accountability and local innovation. 

Addressing ministers, policymakers and development partners, he warned that declining development assistance, mounting debt and persistent disease burdens demanded a new approach to financing healthcare across the continent. 

Dr Kikwete highlighted maternal health as a priority, noting that African women account for nearly 70 per cent of global maternal deaths despite the availability of proven medical knowledge and technology. He stressed that the challenge was no longer scientific discovery but effective implementation. 

Drawing on Tanzania’s progress, he said the country’s maternal mortality ratio had fallen significantly through sustained investment and partnerships, bringing it closer to the Sustainable Development Goal target. 

He also urged African nations to strengthen local pharmaceutical manufacturing, support the African Medicines Agency and improve accountability through better tracking of health financing. 

Dr Kikwete concluded by urging leaders to transform commitments into budgets, budgets into effective programmes and programmes into healthier, more productive lives for all Africans