President John Dramani Mahama has raised concerns about the persistent health challenges facing Africa, warning that millions of people across the continent continue to live with serious diseases without diagnosis or access to timely treatment.

He said more than 90 million Africans living with hepatitis B or C remain undiagnosed, while malaria continues to place a heavy burden on health systems across the continent.

Addressing African leaders at the African Union Extraordinary Health Summit in Accra, where Heads of State and Government gathered to adopt a fully costed continental roadmap aimed at ending AIDS and tuberculosis by 2030, President John Dramani Mahama called for renewed commitment and collective action to tackle the continent’s health challenges.

President Mahama also highlighted the growing impact of non-communicable diseases, noting that they account for more than two million deaths among Africans below age 70 every year.

In his opening address, President Mahama called for a shift from conventional approaches to healthcare, urging African leaders to pursue bold and transformative solutions to address the continent’s health crisis.

“Neglected tropical diseases still blind, disfigure and stigmatise our people, and if you are observant you will notice that most accounts of the global infectious diseases burden present a uniquely depressing African perspective,” he said.

He added that Africa must no longer remain dependent on external support for healthcare solutions.

“Africa now stands at a crossroads defined by its appetite for total health transformation. It can no longer allow itself to be pushed to the periphery and cast as the destitute beneficiary of the largesse of some distant global health systems,” President Mahama stated.

The President stressed that commitments made at the summit must go beyond declarations and result in measurable improvements in healthcare delivery.

He called for sustained political commitment, increased investment and stronger health systems to ensure Africa can effectively tackle both infectious and non-communicable diseases.