Mahama unveils 3-pillar “Accra Reset” initiative to reform global health governance

President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled a new framework aimed at transforming global health governance and reducing Africa’s dependence on foreign-controlled healthcare systems.

Speaking at the 79th World Health Assembly on Monday, May 18, President Mahama said countries in the Global South must be empowered to finance their own healthcare systems, manufacture essential medicines and independently manage health data in order to build resilient health sectors.

According to him, the current global health system places excessive administrative pressure on developing countries, with many health ministers spending more time preparing donor reports than improving primary healthcare delivery in their respective nations.

President Mahama argued that the international community has wrongly equated the expansion of health institutions with actual improvements in healthcare outcomes, stressing that the increase in organisations does not automatically lead to meaningful impact for vulnerable populations.

To address these challenges, he announced the implementation of the “Accra Reset” initiative, which is backed by a Presidential Council comprising leaders from the Global South to champion practical reforms in global health governance and financing.

He explained that the initiative would operate through three major pillars.

The first pillar is a High Level Panel on Reform made up of independent global experts tasked with examining and reviewing the existing global health architecture.

The second pillar, known as the Reform Interlocking Observatory, will coordinate the strategies of major international health institutions including the World Health Organisation, GAVI and the Global Fund to avoid policy conflicts at the local level.

The third pillar is the Health Investment National Gateway (HINGE), which will serve as an implementation mechanism to transform political commitments into concrete and bankable investments in local pharmaceutical manufacturing, bioinnovation and broader health system development.

President Mahama said the initiative is intended to help African countries take greater control of their healthcare systems while reducing long standing dependence on external support.