President John Dramani Mahama has launched the Accra Reset health report, calling for a fundamental shift in how countries in the Global South finance, manage and deliver healthcare.
The report, titled A Sovereign Future for Health, was unveiled in New York on Monday, September 21, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
It proposes reforms to global health cooperation that would give countries greater control over national priorities, financing and institutional development.
President Mahama said developing countries must move beyond a system in which they are expected to take responsibility for health programmes while major funding decisions remain outside their control.
“Through the Accra Reset, we declare unequivocally that there can be NO ownership without control,” he stated.
Sovereignty Must Come With Accountability
The President argued that greater national control must be matched by stronger accountability for public resources.
Under Ghana’s Resetting Ghana Agenda, he said government is pursuing tighter fiscal management, anti-corruption measures and local industrial development to strengthen the country’s ability to provide essential services.
That includes expanding domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing rather than relying indefinitely on imported medicines and foreign assistance.
“Sovereignty is not a blank check. If we demand control, we must earn it through strict domestic accountability,” he said.
The report’s proposed reforms include country-led health plans, sustainable financing, stronger regional institutions, local manufacturing and independent monitoring of commitments.
Maternal Health Takes Centre Stage
President Mahama identified maternal mortality as an immediate priority for the initiative, particularly across Sub-Saharan Africa.
He highlighted Mother Africa and Business United for Mothers, Babies and Youth, known as BUMBY, as programmes intended to connect health financing reforms with practical improvements in maternal and child survival.
Mother Africa focuses on access to skilled care, essential medical supplies and accountable financing, while BUMBY seeks commitments from businesses to support healthier workplaces and maternal and child wellbeing.
Mahama Calls for New Global Partnership
The President said the Accra Reset seeks cooperation built around equal partnerships, national ownership and accountability rather than permanent donor dependence.
He thanked former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Laura Chinchilla, alongside the High-Level Panel leadership and international partners, for supporting the initiative.
For Mahama, the next challenge is implementation: ensuring that developing countries gain the resources, manufacturing capacity and decision-making authority to sustain their health systems.
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