Yokohama: Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has emphasised the need for sustainable health financing in Africa during a side event at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9). Duale highlighted the challenges facing Africa's health systems, including reliance on external aid and the need for innovative financing models.
According to Kenya News Agency, the CS noted in a press statement that the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the African Health Strategy 2016-2030 provide a framework for building sustainable, country-owned financing models. Duale shared Kenya's experience in implementing a comprehensive health financing reform journey, anchored in three pillars: domestic resource mobilisation, universal health coverage, and public-private partnerships.
He further highlighted the importance of increased domestic investment, innovative financing mechanisms, regional solidarity, accountability, and efficiency in achieving sustainable health financing. CS Duale called for collective action to move from statements of intent to sustainable impact, emphasising that TICAD 9 should mark the point where Africa moves from commitments to action.
He also proposed the establishment of Africa-Japan health financing accelerators to drive scalable solutions and leverage Japan's experience in achieving Universal Health Coverage. The Cabinet Secretary emphasised that sustainable health financing is a moral and political imperative and that the health of Africa's people is the foundation of the continent's economies, security, and shared prosperity.
The 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) is being held in Yokohama from today, August 20, to August 22, 2025, and will feature vibrant discussions on a wide range of development themes in Africa.