By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The World Health
Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Prof. Mohamed Janabi, has
called for a stronger approach to global health financing that connects country
priorities with sound investments, effective implementation and local needs.
Prof. Janabi made the
remarks at a side event during the 81st United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA81) on designing the next global health financing architecture.
He said Africa does not need
another layer of health financing initiatives but rather a better way of
translating national health priorities into investments that respond to the
needs of individual countries.
The event brought together
leaders from governments, development banks and global health institutions to
discuss ways of improving the connection between country priorities, financing
and implementation.
Prof. Janabi said
governments, WHO, development banks and development partners need to align
their efforts earlier, match financing more closely with country needs and
provide stronger support for implementation.
He also stressed the
importance of keeping countries at the centre of decisions about what gets
financed and how health investments are implemented.
According to Prof. Janabi,
primary health care should remain central to health investments because it
provides the foundation for achieving universal health coverage and
strengthening health security.
He said stronger investment
in primary health care can help countries improve health outcomes and deliver
better services to communities, reinforcing the need for financing approaches
that are closely connected to national priorities and implementation capacity.
