Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has urged African leaders to explore alternative ways of financing their nations’ health systems instead of relying on foreign aid.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 38th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Remi emphasized that external funding is often unpredictable and unsustainable, making it imperative for African nations to develop their own financing strategies.
“Africa cannot continue to rely solely on donor funding and foreign aid, which, although helpful, are often unpredictable and unsustainable. Instead, we must develop innovative financing strategies tailored to our unique challenges and circumstances,” she said in a statement issued by Busola Kukoyi, her Senior Special Assistant on Media.
At a high-powered meeting convened by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Remi Tinubu highlighted the link between health and economic prosperity, stressing that a healthy continent translates to a wealthy continent.
She called for:
- Increased national health budgets
- Expansion of health insurance coverage
- Creation of health endowment funds
- Investment from the African diaspora
“Given the increasing funding gap for health on the continent, I urge us all to commit to advocating for increased national health budgets and supporting sustainable financing models,” she added.
