Africa must stop outsourcing healthcare, says Anyakora at WHO Assembly

Chief Executive Officer of Bloom Public Health, Professor Chimezie Anyakora, has called on African governments to end overdependence on foreign healthcare support and urgently invest in local pharmaceutical manufacturing, healthcare systems and sustainable financing to secure the continent’s health future.

Anyakora made the call after participating in the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79) in Geneva, Switzerland, where global health leaders deliberated on pandemic preparedness, healthcare financing, artificial intelligence and other emerging health challenges facing nations across the world.

Speaking on the outcome of the global health gathering themed “Reshaping global health: A shared responsibility,” the public health expert said Africa could no longer afford to depend heavily on foreign aid and imported healthcare solutions.

According to him, one of the key lessons from the Assembly was the urgent need for African nations to take ownership of their healthcare future amid growing global uncertainties and shrinking donor support.

“For too long, we have allowed the health of our population to be outsourced. With the new reality, things are changing fast, and Africans are beginning to take charge of their health,” he said.

The Assembly focused on several pressing global health issues, including pandemic preparedness, healthcare delivery during conflicts and humanitarian crises, artificial intelligence in healthcare, misinformation and disinformation, and the global healthcare financing crisis.

Anyakora stressed the need for immediate investments in local manufacturing of therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines across Africa to strengthen pandemic preparedness and reduce dependence on imports.

“We need to have therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines manufactured locally. We also need stronger systems capable of absorbing shocks associated with pandemics. The investments should start now, and governments need to support this,” he stated.

He also urged African governments not to delay critical healthcare reforms because of insecurity and instability affecting parts of the continent.

“We cannot wait until there is an absence of crisis to wake up. In spite of insecurity and instability, we have to do all we can,” he said.

The professor noted that Bloom Public Health has consistently championed self-sufficiency in medicines, vaccines and diagnostics across Africa and currently operates in eight African countries. He added that the organisation is also supporting the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) in pandemic preparedness programmes.

On the growing role of technology, Anyakora described Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a transformative tool capable of improving diagnostics, expanding healthcare access and accelerating Universal Health Coverage across underserved communities.

“AI has come to stay. We have to see it as a tool to achieve much more. We are already in partnerships where AI is being utilised for radiology and other health interventions,” he explained.

He, however, warned against the increasing spread of misinformation and disinformation, especially around vaccines, noting that false information continues to undermine public health efforts across many countries.

“Misinformation has done more harm than many epidemics. Vaccine misinformation remains a major challenge leading to deaths from preventable diseases,” he warned.
Speaking on healthcare financing, Anyakora said African governments must begin to view healthcare as a strategic national investment comparable to infrastructure development.

“We cannot continue to rely on foreign aid to solve key health problems. Health should be prioritised just like roads and bridges,” he stated.

He further emphasised the critical role of the private sector in ensuring sustainable healthcare systems across Africa.

“The private sector holds the key to sustainability in Africa’s healthcare. Health should be seen as a business otherwise, it is not sustainable,” he added.

Looking ahead, Anyakora said African countries must prepare for a future where international donor funding becomes increasingly limited, making domestic resource mobilisation and innovative healthcare delivery models more important than ever.

“The era of free money is gradually going away. We have to be more innovative in deploying healthcare projects,” he said.
The 79th World Health Assembly, held in Geneva from May 18 to May 23, 2026, attracted delegations from all 194 WHO Member States, including health ministers, ambassadors, representatives of non-governmental organisations and global health experts.

Among key figures at the Assembly were WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; WHA79 President, Dr. Víctor Elías Atallah Lajam; Ghanaian President, John Dramani Mahama; and Switzerland’s Elisabeth Baume-Schneider. The gathering also featured video addresses from global leaders, including United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.#