WHO Africa Director calls for stronger partnerships at World Health Summit Regional Meeting
Date: 2026-04-27
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
The World
Health Organization Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, has called for
enhanced collaboration, investment and strategic alignment to strengthen health
systems across the continent during the opening of the World Health Summit 2026
Regional Meeting.
The
event, co-convened by the World Health Organization, brought together heads of
state, health ministers, development partners and global health stakeholders to
discuss priorities for advancing healthcare systems in Africa and beyond.
Janabi joined President of Kenya, H.E William Ruto and other leaders at the opening session, where discussions focused on the evolving global health landscape and the need for coordinated responses to emerging challenges.
In
his remarks, Janabi cautioned against framing health priorities as trade-offs
between security and wellbeing or between economic growth and public health
outcomes. He emphasised that sustainable progress depends on integrated
investments in trust, knowledge systems, innovation and financing.
He highlighted the interconnected nature of global health, noting that challenges in one region can have far-reaching implications, reinforcing the need for stronger cross-border and cross-sector collaboration.
Janabi also called for improved planning, clearer prioritisation and more effective partnerships, urging countries to align around unified national health strategies. He underscored the importance of primary healthcare as the foundation of resilient systems and advocated for innovative financing approaches that bring together public and private sector actors.
The
World Health Summit Regional Meeting is expected to drive dialogue and
partnerships aimed at strengthening health systems and improving outcomes
across the continent.
