Dakhla: The 1st African Summit on Health Systems and Sovereignty has culminated in the adoption of the ‘Dakhla Declaration’, a significant reaffirmation of the continent’s commitment to health rights, equity, and intra-African cooperation. This declaration marks a strategic effort to redefine health solutions across Africa, emphasizing the need for self-reliance and leadership in addressing health challenges.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the declaration emerged as a response to the vulnerabilities exposed by recent health crises, which highlighted the fragmentation of health systems and inequalities in access. A heavy reliance on imports of medicines, vaccines, and technologies was identified as a critical challenge to continental security.
To tackle these issues, summit participants proposed an integrated program centered on five pillars. The first pillar prioritizes public health and epidemiology, with prevention as the core of public policy. The second pillar focuses on enhancing infrastructure and equitable access to care, while the third stresses the importance of investing in training and skills retention.
The fourth pillar calls for increased funding and transparent governance, and the fifth supports African research and development through local production hubs, emphasizing the strategic integration of artificial intelligence.
The Dakhla Declaration outlines an ambitious roadmap leading up to 2030, with specific goals set for each year. The year 2026 will concentrate on strengthening foundations, focusing on prevention and training. By 2027, the emphasis will shift to improving access to medicines and vaccines and integrating artificial intelligence into health systems. The year 2028 will assess public policies and foster public-private partnerships, while 2029 will enhance resilience and strategic preparedness. The ultimate objective for 2030 is to achieve African health sovereignty, aiming for a more autonomous, robust, and united Africa.
Participants have pledged to support this journey by enhancing governance, increasing budgets, and equipping the African Academy of Health Sciences (AAHS) with resources to coordinate continental networks of excellence. They have also called on all stakeholders, including governments, universities, the private sector, and partners, to join this collective endeavor, aspiring to make this decade a period of African health renaissance.
In conjunction with the summit, Mohammed VI University of Science and Health signed partnership agreements with the University of Science and Health in Gabon and Joseph Ki-Zerbo University in Burkina Faso.