Ruto Calls for Overhaul of Africa's Role in Global Health System
Kenya's President, H.E. William Ruto, has underscored the urgent need for a decisive shift in how Africa is positioned within the global health architecture. He called on African health institutions, governments, donor agencies, and implementing partners to move beyond fragmented approaches and embrace system-wide transformation anchored in ownership, investment, and accountability.
This was at the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026 held in Nairobi, where health experts underscored the importance of multilateral cooperation and shared responsibility in strengthening health systems and improving health outcomes globally. The summit, themed "Reimagining Africa's Health Systems: Innovation, Integration and Interdependence," brought together over 2,000 global health leaders, policymakers, researchers, and development partners to advance solutions for stronger and more resilient health systems.
The summit was hosted by the Aga Khan University (AKU) in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Ministry of Health Kenya, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. It featured over 80 sessions focused on strengthening health systems resilience, advancing universal health coverage, and accelerating innovation in global health.
Ruto said: "This imbalance is neither sustainable nor tenable. It calls for a decisive and deliberate shift from fragmented, piecemeal interventions to comprehensive, system-wide transformation anchored in coherent strategy, financed through both domestic and international capital, and sustained by strong governance and accountable institutions. At the same time, Africa possesses unique advantages that must be fully harnessed, which together position the continent as a source of scalable solutions rather than a repository of persistent challenges."
During the opening session, leaders emphasized that the Nairobi meeting represents an opportunity to move beyond dialogue and toward coordinated action. President of the World Health Summit, Prof. Axel Pries, said: "The World Health Summit Regional Meeting in Nairobi reflects the growing importance of Africa in shaping the global health agenda. Our role is to convene leaders from across sectors and regions, and the goal is clear: to translate dialogue into practical action that strengthens health systems regionally worldwide."
International President of WHSRM and Dean, Medical College East Africa, at AKU, Prof Lukoye Atwoli, stated: "For too long, Africa has been the subject of global health discussions held elsewhere, by others. Today, with delegates from more than 50 countries gathered on African soil, we are asserting something fundamental: that African institutions, African researchers, and African policymakers are not consumers of global health policy, we are its co-authors. This Summit will move us from the language of intention to the architecture of implementation."
President and Vice Chancellor of Aga Khan University, Dr. Sulaiman Shahabuddin, added: "Challenges do remain, climate change, chronic diseases, lack of financial resources, the digital divide, inequity and others that we will have to overcome but I see a sector (in Africa) more capable than ever: better positioned to integrate systems, harness technology, and train the workforce needed for quality care and ethical leadership."
For WHO, the summit reinforced the importance of scaling proven approaches to universal health coverage through strong primary health care systems. WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, said: "This Summit marks a historic first and offers the kind of collaboration required to meet the challenges of the moment. The themes being discussed are deeply interconnected and will result in a blueprint for a new Africa that reflects a shift from addressing individual challenges to building a coherent health ecosystem."
Kenya highlighted the significance of hosting the meeting as both a diplomatic and policy milestone. Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, stated: "Global health security is not a luxury; it is a prerequisite for national stability. We must move from reactive crisis management to proactive pandemic preparedness."
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized the growing role of African institutions in shaping the continent's health security agenda. Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, added: "Africa's health security and sovereignty depend on our ability to finance and build resilient systems at scale. The World Health Summit Regional Meeting in Nairobi provides a critical platform to move from dialogue to action, mobilizing investment, strengthening partnerships, and advancing African-led solutions that reduce dependency and expand access to quality health care."
