The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has praised President John Mahama for his leadership in pushing reforms aimed at reshaping the global health system amid declining international aid.

Speaking at the ongoing World Health Assembly in Geneva, Dr Tedros said President Mahama’s “Accra Reset” initiative has become a rallying call for countries seeking greater health sovereignty and reduced dependence on donor funding.

According to the WHO boss, the global health community is now at a critical moment requiring bold reforms to build “a new global health architecture fit for the future.”

“It’s time for innovation to build a new global health architecture fit for the future,” Dr. Tedros stated.

He explained that member states at this year’s Assembly are considering a WHO-hosted, member state-led joint process to reform the global health architecture by consolidating existing reform initiatives rather than launching entirely new structures.

“Our purpose is not to launch a new initiative but to bring together the many existing initiatives that have proposed reforms of the global health architecture in part or in whole,” he said.

Dr. Tedros noted that the theme for this year’s Assembly, “Reshaping Global Health: A Shared Responsibility”, reflects growing consensus that countries must take greater ownership of their health systems, especially following disruptions caused by sharp cuts in development assistance over the past year.

He observed that many countries experienced severe setbacks in healthcare delivery as donor funding declined, affecting individuals, families and communities around the world.

“Those disruptions and the damage they caused to the health of individuals, families and communities were regrettable and avoidable,” he said.

However, he argued that the crisis also triggered an important shift in thinking among global leaders.

“They prompted many leaders to say now is the time to leave behind the era of donor dependency and open a new era of health sovereignty,” Dr. Tedros added.

The WHO Director-General credited President Mahama’s Accra Reset initiative for helping shape this emerging global conversation on health financing and self-reliance.

“This is the message of the Accra Reset and the echoes of Accra now resounding in Geneva and around the world. Thank you, Your Excellency, for your leadership on this,” he said.

The Accra Reset initiative, spearheaded by President Mahama and launched in 2025, seeks to rethink Africa’s approach to health financing and healthcare delivery in the wake of declining donor support and lessons from recent global health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Ebola outbreaks.

The initiative advocates stronger domestic investment in healthcare, improved regional cooperation, local pharmaceutical manufacturing and reduced reliance on foreign aid for essential health programmes.

It also pushes for reforms in the global health financing system to give developing countries a stronger voice in decision-making while promoting sustainable and resilient health systems across Africa.