By Sola Ogundipe

Commonwealth health ministers who gathered at the 37th Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting (CHMM), held in Geneva, Switzerland, have committed to a bold new approach to securing sustainable health financing, even as they laid out a roadmap to strengthen healthcare systems and ensure equitable access to quality healthcare for 2.7 billion people across the Commonwealth.

At the meeting  ahead of the 78th World Health Assembly, ministers emphasized the urgent need for resilient and inclusive health systems, particularly in vulnerable member states experiencing development aid freezes and funding reductions.

Addressing delegates from Nigeria and 44 other member states, including 198 government officials, and 42 observers, the Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, urged a shift from short-term, fragmented  health funding models toward broader, long-term investments.

“We must shift from short-term, fragmented approaches to long-term, wide investment. That means strengthening governance, the health workforce, infrastructure, supply chains, data systems, and most crucially, primary health care.

“We must find new ways to finance health. That includes blended finance, social impact bonds, and public-private partnerships. But innovation must serve equity, not undermine it. That requires strong regulation, public leadership, and shared accountability,” Botchwey noted.

Lesotho’s Minister of Health, Selibe Mochoboroane, who chaired the meeting, underscored  the need to build health systems that are sustainable, equitable and resilient.

“Collaborative  partnerships are essential; the global community must unite to support one another with innovative health financing strategies to address immediate challenges and build resilient systems that can effectively respond to both current and future health crises.”

The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, said: “Although our current situation is difficult, we are using it as an opportunity to accelerate our journey towards greater financial sustainability. This is an area where the Commonwealth and WHO can work together to help member states on their journey to self-reliance, those facing severe disruptions, with support from donors to bridge the gap.”

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adenkule Salako, who chaired discussions on NCDs and mental health, where leaders reinforced the need for sustained financing to address rising health burdens, called for a paradigm shift towards sustainable financing and smart health spending across the Commonwealth nations, even as he  underscored the need for sustainable financing to address the rising burden of NCDs and mental health issues.

Speaking under the meeting’s theme, “Investing in Health: Sustainable Financing for an Equitable Commonwealth, Salako noted, “Nigeria believes smart spending is central to sustainable health financing. We must reorient financing systems to maximize value and equity, particularly by strengthening primary health care as the bedrock of our health systems and promoting local solutions that are tailored to our contexts.

In the view of the CEO of the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association and Chair of the Commonwealth Health Professions and Partners Alliance, Victoria Rutter, “The 37th Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting stands to be the most important to date. As global funding priorities shift away from conventional models of aid, there is an opportunity for Commonwealth member states and for organisations within the Commonwealth family to come together to develop new, cost-effective and sustainable ways of working in partnership with each other to improve health outcomes.”

The ministers explored innovative strategies and solutions to increase domestic spending on health and diversity funding streams, noting that to achieve optimal health care, primary health care must be strengthened by investing in the health and care workforce to address worker shortages, improving access to essential medicines to achieve health equity, and investing in digital tools to improve efficiency and accessibility.

Recognizing that 4.5 billion people lack access to critical health services, ministers agreed that strategic investment in healthcare is paramount to preserving decades of progress toward global health goals.

With this renewed commitment, the Commonwealth is set to lead by example, ensuring health systems remain strong, accessible, and financially sustainable despite global economic uncertainty.