By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
Tanzania’s Vice President Philip Mpango has called for the establishment of sustainable financing systems to strengthen Africa’s resilience in responding to public health emergencies.
Dr Mpango was speaking on Tuesday during a meeting of the Committee of Heads of State and Government of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he is representing President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Dr Mpango said African countries must take the lead in financing their health priorities rather than relying heavily on external support.
“Tanzania is committed to mobilising domestic resources, advancing innovative financing solutions and supporting regional initiatives that reduce dependence on donor aid. Only then can we guarantee that Africa’s health needs are defined and addressed by Africans themselves,” he noted.
The Vice President underscored the importance of self-reliance in the health sector through local production of diagnostic tools, treatments, vaccines and essential medical supplies. He said Tanzania is encouraging investment in domestic pharmaceutical and medical industries, as well as the establishment of joint continental regulatory authorities and technology transfer partnerships.
These efforts, he added, would significantly enhance Africa’s capacity to respond to both current and future public health threats.
Dr Mpango pointed out that recent outbreaks of infectious diseases, including Marburg virus disease and other pathogens, have exposed gaps in the continent’s preparedness and response systems.
He stressed that stronger investment is required in disease surveillance, laboratories, infection prevention and control, emergency medical supplies and coordination mechanisms to ensure timely and effective responses to health crises.
“Tanzania has continued to invest in infectious disease treatment units, rapid deployment of emergency medical teams and modern health infrastructure. We are also strengthening the capacity of health personnel to deal with emergencies more effectively”.
The Vice President added that lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent outbreaks had demonstrated the need for Africa to secure its health sovereignty.
According to him, building resilience must be at the centre of all regional health strategies, with political leadership playing a decisive role in ensuring sustainable financing and robust systems.
The meeting, convened under the theme “Securing Africa’s Health Sovereignty: Political Leadership for Sustainable Health Financing, Domestic Manufacturing and Preparedness for Disease Outbreaks,” brought together Heads of State and Government to deliberate on how to strengthen the Africa CDC’s mandate.
The leaders discussed ways of reducing the continent’s vulnerability to future pandemics by promoting health security, boosting domestic financing and expanding local manufacturing of essential medical commodities.
Dr Mpango reiterated Tanzania’s readiness to work closely with other African nations to implement the resolutions of the meeting.
“With collective commitment and investment, Africa can ensure it is not caught unprepared in the face of future public health emergencies,” he concluded.
