The federal authorities, Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and different continental companions have canvassed pressing prioritisation of group well being workforce, warning that Africa’s well being sovereignty will stay an phantasm except group well being staff have been recognised, paid and deliberate for.
They expressed confidence that underneath the Continental Acceleration Plan 2026-2030, to be launched Friday, Africa might cross the two-million well being staff’ deployment goal set for November 2029 if member states delivered reported plans.
The name was made at High-Level Forum on Fit-for-Purpose Health Workforce: Accelerating Africa’s Progress Towards Two Million Community Health Workers by 2030, hosted by Nigeria, in collaboration with Africa CDC and UNICEF in Abuja.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, represented by Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr. John Ovayoru, mentioned the assembly was to not admire the issue however to unravel it via measurable interventions.
Salako mentioned, “We are here for very serious business. The health workforce Africa needs is the workforce that will move us forward. About 80 per cent of health conditions occur at community level and do not require consultant surgeon. Often, communities simply need a community health worker who can identify diseases early, intervene quickly, and refer appropriately.”
Salako mentioned Nigeria was proud to host the discussion board along with Africa CDC and UNICEF, and thanked the 55 member states current.
He recalled that in 2016, Heads of State dedicated to coaching and deploying two million group well being staff, reaffirmed in 2017, and renewed in February 2026 at thirty ninth AU Summit convened by President Bola Tinubu and at Accra Extraordinary Summit in July.
He said, “The group well being employee is the face of the well being system for hundreds of thousands. She vaccinates baby, follows pregnant girl, treats malaria on the doorstep, and raises alarm when outbreak begins.
“When she stops epidemic in the village before it reaches the city, that is health sovereignty in action.”
Salako warned that as of May 2026, Africa had only one.06 million group well being staff deployed, roughly half of the goal, with 4 years left. Only 68 per cent of member states formally recognise them, solely half pay them via authorities wage invoice, and 85 per cent depend on donors for half or extra of programmes at a time improvement help for well being has fallen 40 per cent since 2021, he mentioned.
The minister mentioned, “A workforce that is not recognised, paid or planned for is a workforce that cannot be retained.”
He expressed confidence that Continental Acceleration Plan 2026-2030, to be launched Friday, confirmed Africa might cross the two-million goal by November 2029 if member states delivered reported plans, including that funding case is $4.3 billion per 12 months with $19 return for each greenback.
For Nigeria, with over 240 million folks, Salako mentioned solely about 93,000 group well being staff have been deployed, fewer than 4 per 10,000, however underneath Renewed Hope Agenda and Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative authorities was revitalising PHCs so that each ward had useful facility.
He mentioned with clear nationwide coverage, grasp registry, and home financing via BHCPF, Nigeria will proceed to steer as AU Champion.
He gave three assessments for delegates: depart with country-owned plan that finance minister can put into subsequent finances not ready on donors; decide to reforms solely authorities could make, together with recognition and inclusion in wage invoice; and guarantee Abuja Communique data particular, dated, measurable commitments.
Representing Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya, Special Representative, Professor Aliko Baba Ahmed, mentioned the turnout of 55 member states and 36 companions was a press release that group well being staff have been central to well being safety agenda, particularly because the continent battled Ebola outbreak affecting about 10,000 folks and killing shut to five,000 throughout 4 nations together with Nigeria.
He mentioned well being sovereignty rested on 5 pillars: surveillance, workforce improvement, home financing, digital transformation and native manufacturing, saying virtually 70 per cent of medical merchandise are imported.
Ahmed said, “Community health workers are link across all five pillars. Without them, we do not have structure to make health sovereignty real. They detect problems before escalation, protect communities through immunisation and connect people to institutions.”
He warned that greater than 80 per cent of group well being programmes have been donor-dependent and solely 5 – 6 nations funded considerably from personal sources, calling for nationwide finances traces and inclusion in wage payments.
Co-Executive Director Africa Frontline First Ms. Juliet Odogwu mentioned her organisation’s Catalytic Fund had supported professionalisation of over 100,000 staff since 2023 and focused 200,000 by 2028, in the direction of two-million objective, stressing that financing have to be sustainable.
IFRC Head of Delegation, Dr. Asha Mohammed, mentioned Continental Acceleration Plan recognised that resilient techniques have been constructed via empowered communities, pledging Red Cross community to assist coaching and deployment.
Amref Health Africa Director Mieko Makai gave stark human face, saying well being surveillance assistants in Malawi can handle solely three days earlier than borrowing when salaries delayed as much as three months. Interviews with 155 group well being staff throughout 5 nations confirmed late cost was high cause for wanting to go away.
She mentioned, “Recruiting two million is a question of numbers. Keeping them is a question of whether this is a job a young person can build life on,” calling for well timed pay, seen profession pathways, and respect.
UNICEF Global Health Practice Director, Ms. Helga Fogstad, mentioned professionalising group well being workforce might assist scale back 2.3 million preventable new-born deaths and assist 45 African nations off observe on baby mortality, with $19 return per greenback.
Fogstad introduced the launch of Continental Community Health Scorecard and Learning Platform to trace baselines.
Chair of Community Health Delivery Partnership Technical Working Group, Dr. Richard Kabanda, mentioned the discussion board was member states’ child and should ship three outcomes: formal embedding of CHWs in workforce frameworks, unified requirements for coaching and gear, and transfer from coverage to implementation.
Stakeholders agreed that point for commitments was over and time for funded, country-owned motion was now.
Onyebuchi Ezigbo
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