By Eddah Waithaka
A looming 70% collapse in international health funding is forcing a radical rethink of how Africa pays for its well-being, as top editors, policymakers, and experts gathered in Nairobi on Thursday to sound the alarm and demand a self-reliant future.
Convened by the Kenya Editors’ Guild (KEG) and Willow Health Media, the high-level dialogue unveiled a stark projection from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC): official development assistance to the continent will plummet by 70% between 2021 and 2025.
“This isn’t just a statistic on a spreadsheet,” said moderator Dr. Mercy Korir, an award-winning journalist and CEO of Willow Health Media. “This means real programs for HIV, TB, and malaria are shutting down. This means decades of progress in maternal health and immunizations are at immediate risk.”
The crisis, however, is catalyzing a powerful consensus. The forum unanimously declared that Africa must take definitive ownership of its health security, moving beyond decades of donor dependency.
“The conversation has decisively shifted from managing aid to building self-sufficiency,” a key organizer stated.
The dialogue produced a concrete, five-pillar action plan for sustainable health financing.
Enforce Radical Accountability
Governments must adopt stringent monitoring and governance frameworks.This ensures every shilling delivers tangible results and builds public trust in health systems
Mobilize Domestic Resources
Governments must lead a reorganization of national budgets.They should also pioneer innovative mechanisms, like solidarity levies, to reduce citizens’ out-of-pocket expenses for healthcare.
Unlock Private Capital
The plan champions blended finance,using public funds to de-risk health ventures. This strategy aims to attract massive private sector investment, alongside philanthropy and diaspora bonds.
Fortify Public Health Systems
The African-led Financing Alliance for Health(FAH) is already working with governments. Together, they are building resilient, primary healthcare infrastructures from the ground up.
Command Donor Alignment
The era of externally driven,fragmented projects is over. The dialogue demanded that all future donor support align directly with sovereign national health priorities.
The meeting served as a pivotal moment, uniting the continent’s most influential voices behind a single, urgent message. The time for waiting has passed.
The future of Africa’s health, they concluded, depends not on the generosity of outsiders, but on the continent’s own political will, innovative spirit, and accountable leadership.
