The Director-General of the World Health Organiosation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, says Africa does not need charity but rather fair tariffs.
Speaking at the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit in Accra on August 5, he went hard on the need for Africans to be self-sufficient and self-reliant.
According to him, private capital and philanthropic capital are both very important, but they can only complement Africa’s public financing, but cannot replace it.
“More money alone is not enough. What’s important is how effectively that money is used. WHO’s work with countries, has shown that up to 17% of budgets in low- and middle-income countries go unspent due to weak agric financial system,” he said.
He further noted that debt service burdens are crowding out social investments, and donor funding often bypasses national systems, making long-term planning almost impossible.
“We cannot ignore the broader economy context in 2023 Africa received 74 billion US dollars in aid, but lost $90 billion to illicit financial growth, and $55 billion to corporate tax exemptions,” the WHO boss noted.
The high-level summit being held in Accra has brought together African heads of states, ministers, policy makers, and global health stakeholders to reimagine global health governance amidst a rapidly shifting geopolitical and economic landscape.
