President John Dramani Mahama will host an Extraordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Accra from July 21 to 22, 2026, to discuss ways of improving healthcare across the continent.
According to a statement issued by the Presidency Communications Office on Tuesday, the summit will be held under the theme: “Advancing Justice, Equity and Universal Health Coverage: Ending AIDS, TB, Improving Maternal Health, Addressing Endemic Non-Communicable and Neglected Tropical Diseases and Conditions in Africa.”
The statement, signed by the Minister for Government Communications and Presidential Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said the meeting would bring together African Heads of State and Government, Ministers of Health, Finance and Foreign Affairs, officials of the African Union Commission, Regional Economic Communities, development partners, civil society organisations, youth representatives and private sector actors.
It said participants would discuss ways to strengthen Africa’s health systems and accelerate the achievement of universal health coverage across the continent.
According to the statement, the summit will begin on July 21 with a meeting of experts from member states.
The meeting will involve senior officials from the ministries responsible for health, finance and economic planning to prepare technical recommendations for ministers and Heads of State.
It said the Assembly of Heads of State and Government would meet on July 22 to consider and adopt key decisions on Africa’s health priorities, including a declaration to speed up the implementation of the African Union Roadmap to 2030.
The Presidency said Ghana’s hosting of the summit reflects President Mahama’s commitment to expanding access to quality healthcare and promoting health equity across Africa.
It noted that the government has introduced several health initiatives, including the Free Primary Health Care Programme, the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to improve access to healthcare, and the establishment of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, known as “MahamaCares,” to support universal health coverage.
The statement added that the government is also investing in health infrastructure, training healthcare workers, strengthening emergency preparedness and promoting local pharmaceutical manufacturing.
It further announced that President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, the African Union Champion for Maternal and Child Health, will lead a side event on maternal, newborn, child and adolescent survival in partnership with the Accra Reset initiative.
The Presidency welcomed all Heads of State, delegates and stakeholders to Ghana and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to working with the African Union and its member states to improve healthcare and achieve universal health coverage across the continent.
By: Jacob Aggrey
