Egypt's Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar warned on Tuesday that Africa is approaching a critical juncture as development aid declines sharply and debt burdens rise, urging greater domestic investment in health and broader partnerships to secure the continent's health sovereignty. Speaking via video conference at a ministerial meeting organized by the African Union Commission, Abdel Ghaffar said official development assistance to Africa has dropped by 70%—from roughly $80 billion in 2021 to an expected $24 billion in 2025—even as inflation, debt pressures and health emergencies continue to intensify. He cautioned that failing to act could erase two decades of progress, drive up preventable deaths and push an estimated 39 million Africans into poverty by 2030 due to catastrophic out-of-pocket health spending. Abdel Ghaffar praised the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) for advancing a continent-wide agenda for health sovereignty. He highlighted its strategy to expand domestic resource mobilization, introduce innovative financing tools such as solidarity levies and health taxes, and use blended finance to attract private-sector investment in infrastructure, local manufacturing and digital transformation. He stressed that good governance, transparent procurement systems and strong digital platforms are essential to ensure that every dollar effectively strengthens public health systems. Citing Egypt's own experience, Abdel Ghaffar noted that the country has increased health spending despite global economic pressures. Egypt's health budget, he said, has quadrupled over the past decade to reach one trillion Egyptian pounds in 2024, with allocations rising 30.4% in the 2023/2024 budget. He also pointed to the rollout of universal health insurance in 2019 and 15 presidential health initiatives that have provided 260 million services through more than 3,500 primary care units. He emphasized the strong economic returns of preventive care, noting that each dollar invested in vaccination yields between $16 and $44, while nutrition programs can generate returns of up to $23. Abdel Ghaffar concluded with three key messages aligned with Africa CDC's framework: domestic commitment is indispensable, reforms must be comprehensive, and partnerships significantly amplify impact. He reaffirmed Egypt's readiness to work with African countries, the African Union and Africa CDC to advance health equity, resilience and sovereignty across the continent.
