President John Dramani Mahama is urging the world to rethink the way it funds and manages health and development, arguing that the current global system is “no longer fit for purpose.”
Speaking at the launch of “The Accra Reset” in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Mr. Mahama said health crises in Africa and beyond go far deeper than shortages of medicines, hospitals, or vaccines. At their root, he explained, are structural inequalities in the global development system itself.
“Developing countries are now spending more on debt repayments than on health and education combined. Africa’s debt stock has crossed $1 trillion, with nearly one-fifth of government revenues going into servicing debt,” he noted.
According to him, the traditional aid model has collapsed, leaving poorer nations squeezed by unsustainable debt and broken supply chains. To break this cycle, he called for new governance and financing models that prioritise health sovereignty, economic resilience, and global solidarity.
As the African Union’s Champion for Financial Institutions, Mr. Mahama co-hosted the event alongside former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. Other key figures in attendance included former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima, and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
What “The Accra Reset” Stands For
Held under the theme “Reimagining Global Governance for Health and Development,” the initiative seeks to rebuild global systems so they work for today’s realities. It follows the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit in Accra, which introduced new approaches built around flexible coalitions and resilient partnerships.
The Reset aims to offer a bold, practical framework for tackling interconnected global challenges—from pandemics to debt crises and climate change—while ensuring that progress is not easily undone.
A World at a Crossroads
President Mahama reminded leaders that while progress had been made in recent decades—lifting millions out of poverty, cutting maternal deaths, and expanding access to life-saving treatments—much of it has been wiped out.
“The COVID-19 pandemic reversed 20 years of poverty reduction in under two years. Climate change has pushed 735 million people into chronic hunger. Nearly one in ten people globally are going hungry,” he warned.
Citing the UN’s 2023 report, he said fewer than half of the SDG targets are on track, and health targets are among the hardest hit, worsened by a 40% drop in official development assistance.
“This is why we need a reset—a complete rethinking of how development works. The Accra Reset is about building sovereignty, fairness, and shared value, so nations can co-create and co-invest in solutions that serve us all,” he explained.
Solidarity, Not Charity
In his remarks, former President Obasanjo underscored the importance of global solidarity, recalling past examples where collective action changed lives:
- The Jubilee 2000 campaign, which cancelled over $100 billion of African debt.
- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, which raised $50 billion and saved millions of lives.
“Solidarity is not charity—it’s a common insurance policy for humanity,” Obasanjo stressed, pointing to the challenges of climate change, pandemics, and financial instability as shared global threats.
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