Health ministers from the 47 Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region have opened the 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, beginning three days of discussions on policies and priorities that will shape the region’s health agenda in the coming year and beyond.
The Regional Committee, the WHO African Region’s highest decision-making body, brings together ministers of health, senior government officials, development partners and technical experts to assess progress, address emerging health challenges and consider strategies aimed at strengthening health systems and improving health outcomes across the continent.
Opening the session, Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie called for stronger regional cooperation and sustained investment in resilient health systems. He urged African countries to focus on ownership, integration and practical action to ensure that health policies translate into measurable results.
Ethiopian Minister of Health Dr Mekdes Daba highlighted persistent inequalities, limited resources, emerging technologies, climate challenges, demographic transitions and complex health emergencies as some of the major issues confronting Africa’s health systems.
WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Mohamed Janabi said the meeting demonstrates Member States’ shared commitment to building stronger, more resilient and self-reliant health systems through collective action and African-led solutions. He emphasized that the decisions taken during the session will influence policies, investments and the health prospects of future generations.
A major focus of the meeting is sustainable health financing, alongside the Africa Health Workforce Agenda 2026–2035, which seeks to help countries educate, employ and retain more health workers. Ministers are also considering a regional strategy aimed at giving children a stronger start in life through increased investment in early childhood development.
Health security and emergency preparedness are also high on the agenda. Ministers will consider proposals to strengthen the regulation of medical products and improve national emergency response capabilities in a region that experiences more public health emergencies than any other globally.
The discussions come as the Democratic Republic of the Congo responds to its largest Ebola outbreak. Against this backdrop, ministers are expected to review a regional framework designed to strengthen national emergency medical teams and enable countries to respond more rapidly and effectively to outbreaks, disasters and other public health emergencies.
The meeting will also address efforts to protect Africa’s progress against polio by maintaining surveillance systems, laboratories, skilled health workers and emergency response capacities developed through decades of eradication efforts.
Another priority is the proposed Regional Health Data Hub, which aims to improve how countries use health information to detect health threats earlier, target resources more effectively and support evidence-based decision-making.
Ministers will additionally consider A New Era of Health for Africa: United Action for Vision 2035, a long-term strategic framework intended to guide African-led health transformation through stronger primary health care, resilient health systems, sustainable financing, digital transformation and greater country ownership.
The decisions and resolutions adopted during the Regional Committee are expected to influence national health policies, strengthen regional cooperation and guide WHO support to Member States over the coming year. The discussions also form part of wider efforts to build health systems capable of responding to Africa’s evolving health challenges while improving access to quality care across the continent.