By Juliet Umeh

Africa must urgently abandon fragmented, piecemeal health interventions and embrace coordinated, system-wide transformation to build resilient healthcare systems, Kenya’s President, William Ruto, has said.

Ruto spoke at the opening of the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, where over 2,000 global health leaders, policymakers, researchers and development partners gathered to chart a new course for Africa’s health systems.

The summit, which began on April 27, is themed “Reimagining Africa’s Health Systems: Innovation, Integration and Interdependence.”

According to Ruto, the continent must reposition itself within the global health architecture through stronger ownership, sustainable financing and accountable institutions.

“This imbalance is neither sustainable nor tenable. It calls for a decisive and deliberate shift, from fragmented, piecemeal interventions to comprehensive, system-wide transformation anchored in coherent strategy, financed through both domestic and international capital, and sustained by strong governance and accountable institutions,” he said.

He added that Africa must leverage its unique strengths to become a hub for scalable health solutions rather than a region defined by recurring health challenges.

The meeting, hosted by Aga Khan University in partnership with the World Health Organisation, WHO, Kenya’s Ministry of Health, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, will feature over 80 sessions focusing on health system resilience, universal health coverage and innovation.

President of the World Health Summit, Prof. Axel Pries, said the gathering reflects Africa’s growing influence in shaping the global health agenda.

“Our role is to convene leaders across sectors and regions, with a clear goal, to translate dialogue into practical action that strengthens health systems regionally and globally,” Pries said.

Also speaking, International President of the Summit and Dean, Medical College East Africa at Aga Khan University, Prof. Lukoye Atwoli, stressed the need for Africa to take ownership of its health policies.

“For too long, Africa has been the subject of global health discussions held elsewhere. Today, we are asserting that African institutions and policymakers are co-authors of global health policy. This summit will move us from intention to implementation,” he said.

President and Vice-Chancellor of Aga Khan University, Dr. Sulaiman Shahabuddin, noted that despite challenges such as climate change, chronic diseases, funding constraints and digital inequality, Africa’s health sector is increasingly positioned to integrate systems and harness technology.

Similarly, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, described the meeting as historic, noting that it offers a platform for building a unified health ecosystem across the continent.

“This summit offers the kind of collaboration required to meet today’s challenges and will help shape a blueprint for a new Africa,” he said.

On her part, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, emphasised the need for proactive health security.

“Global health security is not a luxury; it is a prerequisite for national stability. We must move from reactive crisis management to proactive pandemic preparedness,” she said.

Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Jean Kaseya, said Africa’s health sovereignty depends on its ability to finance and build resilient systems at scale.

“Africa’s health security and sovereignty depend on our ability to mobilise investment, strengthen partnerships and advance African-led solutions that reduce dependency and expand access to quality healthcare,” Kaseya said.

The summit will continue with discussions on health financing, workforce development, digital health innovation, and the impact of climate change on health systems.