The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) has strengthened its engagement on health security and sovereignty in Southern Africa, taking part in the Fifth Southern Africa Regional Ministerial Steering Committee (ReSCO) Meeting in Windhoek, Namibia. The Parliament was represented by Hon. Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Chairperson of the Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs.
The meeting was convened by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Southern Africa Regional Coordinating Centre, under the theme ‘Strengthening Domestic Financing, Expanding National Health Insurance and Accelerating Local Manufacturing’. It brought together Ministers of Health from the Southern Africa region, ambassadors, senior government officials, public health experts and representatives of National Health Insurance authorities, National Public Health Institutes and Africa CDC’s regional governance structures.
On health security, participants underlined that public health threats cross borders, so that one country’s security is tied to that of its neighbours and the wider region. Citing the Ebola outbreaks and COVID-19 as threats that quickly became regional and global crises, they called for regional solidarity and coordinated investment in preparedness, early warning systems, rapid laboratory testing, trusted public communication and cross-border information sharing.
On health sovereignty, the meeting examined Africa’s continued reliance on external sources for medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and other essential health commodities, and stressed that sovereignty must become practical rather than aspirational. The steps discussed included sustained investment in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, expanded national and regional manufacturing, research and development, clinical trials, training institutions and scientific expertise.
Participants emphasised domestic resource mobilisation, more efficient use of national health budgets, innovative financing mechanisms and the expansion of National Health Insurance systems. The meeting also linked peace, political stability and health outcomes, framing health security as part of Africa’s broader peace, security and development agenda.
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Directorate of Communications, Pan-African Parliament · communications@pap.au.int · Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, South Africa.
