Uganda has launched the inaugural Community of Practice on Health Sovereignty, a landmark initiative aimed at strengthening country-led and resilient health systems across Africa amid shifting global funding dynamics. The three-day meeting, which commenced on 23 March and runs until 25 March 2026, is being held at the Kampala Serena Hotel.
The high-level convening has brought together senior officials from Ministries of Health and Finance from eight African countries, alongside development partners and academic institutions.
The initiative is supported by the African Union Development Agency and Georgetown University, reflecting a growing continental and global commitment to rethinking health financing and governance.
Participating countries include Senegal, Kenya, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Botswana, and South Africa. Their participation underscores the shared urgency among African states to develop sustainable and self-reliant health systems in the face of declining donor support and evolving global health priorities.
Opening the conference, Dr Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health Uganda, called for deliberate and coordinated action to transform health systems across the continent. She emphasised that the meeting was intentionally designed to foster practical solutions and long-term strategies.
Dr Atwine highlighted the dual role of health services as both a socio-economic driver and a critical pillar for social transformation. She noted that robust health systems are essential not only for improving public health outcomes but also for advancing national development agendas.
She further stressed the need for African countries to build self-reliant systems capable of withstanding fluctuations in external financing. According to her, overreliance on donor funding has left many countries vulnerable to policy shifts and funding cuts, making it imperative to prioritise domestic resource mobilisation and efficient utilisation of available funds.
As part of the strategy for achieving health sovereignty, Dr Atwine encouraged countries to adopt cost-saving and efficiency-enhancing measures. These include pooled procurement of medical supplies, strengthening local pharmaceutical manufacturing, and enhancing regional collaboration.
She also called for increased cooperation among African nations in sharing resources and trading health commodities to reduce costs and improve access.
Also addressing the meeting, Linton Mchunu, Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD, described the platform as a critical space for generating practical and actionable solutions. He cautioned that delays in implementing reforms could have significant consequences.
“The cost of inaction is always higher than action,” Mchunu noted, urging delegates to move beyond dialogue and commit to concrete steps that will drive sustainable change in the health sector.
Meanwhile, Deus Bazira, Director of the Global Health Institute at Georgetown University, emphasised the importance of maintaining high standards in the pursuit of health sovereignty. He warned against compromising quality and competence in the rush to implement reforms.
“We should not compromise competence just to get something done,” Bazira stressed, highlighting the need for evidence-based approaches and strong institutional capacity.
On the second day of the meeting, discussions shifted from identifying challenges to developing actionable solutions. Delegates examined strategies for transitioning from fragmented and donor-dependent systems to integrated and sovereign health systems that are better aligned with national priorities.
A key theme emerging from the discussions was the importance of adopting a human-centred approach to health system reform. Participants noted that many of the barriers to achieving health sovereignty are not purely technical but are rooted in human factors, including governance, leadership, and community engagement.
As such, delegates emphasised the need to design health systems that respond to the needs, expectations, and aspirations of the populations they serve. This approach, they argued, will be critical in ensuring sustainability, accountability, and improved health outcomes.