President John Dramani Mahama has challenged African governments and investors to rethink Africa health investment, arguing that healthcare should be treated as a productive economic sector rather than a social expense competing for limited public funds.
Speaking at the Alamein Africa Forum in Egypt, President Mahama said stronger health systems could support manufacturing, employment, human capital development and wider economic stability.
“For decades, African Finance Ministers and global investors have made a fundamental error: they have treated health as a line item cost.
“Health is not a charitable cause; it is an investable, high growth economic sector.” - President Mahama
Africa Imports Most Medicines
Mahama pointed to Africa’s dependence on external pharmaceutical supply chains as one of the strongest arguments for local production.
The continent currently imports more than 70% of its medicines and about 99% of its vaccines, leaving health systems exposed to international supply disruptions.
He argued that local pharmaceutical manufacturing could preserve foreign exchange, reduce vulnerability during health emergencies and create skilled employment.
The President also identified the African Continental Free Trade Area as an opportunity to give manufacturers access to a continental market of roughly 1.4 billion people rather than fragmented national markets.
Mahama Makes Case for Private Capital
Mahama said governments cannot finance Africa’s health transformation alone.
He urged banks, sovereign funds, institutional investors and industrial developers to direct more capital into pharmaceutical factories, biotechnology and health infrastructure.
The President cited Egypt’s progress against Hepatitis C and the African Medical Centre of Excellence in Abuja as examples of how domestic capacity could reduce dependence on imported healthcare.
“Let us stop treating health as a line item expense,” Mahama said. “Let us build factories, integrate supply chains, fund innovators, and secure our citizens’ future.”
He said Ghana was also expanding health financing and institutional capacity through initiatives including Free Primary Health Care, the Ghana Medical Trust Fund and support for the National Vaccine Institute.
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