The Minister of Health, Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, noted the urgent need for resilient and sustainable health systems across the African continent in the face a changing financing landscape. ALSO READ: Africa must take full charge of its health systems Speaking at the opening of the Africa Health Agenda International Conference on Monday, March 3, in Kigali. Dr Nsanzimana stated the pressing challenges facing Africa’s healthcare systems, such as fluctuating funding, rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and the transformative potential of technology in overcoming these hurdles. He noted the unstable funding landscape for global health, highlighting that many essential health programmes, such as those targeting maternal and child health, malaria, and other critical disease prevention efforts, are at risk as traditional donors pull back support. ALSO READ: Strengthening Africa's health systems: Insights from NEPAD's top official on medicines regulatory programme Dr Nsanzimana spoke weeks after the US government announced suspension of USAID, which has supported African health systems, especially in mother and child health programmes. According to the minister, abrupt funding cuts are jeopardizing vital public health initiatives and affecting vulnerable communities across Africa. “We are in a critical phase, a period where financing for global health in general is being affected, sometimes abruptly,” Dr Nsanzimana stated. He noted the need to prepare for the inevitable consequences of financing gaps and to explore alternative financing mechanisms. “If programmes are stopped overnight, what are the options we have?” he posed, acknowledging that the reality of reduced funding could have consequences. Despite these challenges, Dr Nsanzimana reassured that African countries would be resilient and capable of reducing these risks. He mentioned the need for innovation and bold decisions to reconsider health programmes and reduce reliance on external funding. The Minister said it was necessary to strengthen primary health care and building systems that are firmly rooted in local communities. “We must ensure that the centre of our health systems holds focus on cost-effective solutions that achieve maximum impact with limited resources.” Dr Nsanzimana also addressed the growing challenge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa. While malaria and infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV continue to pose a burden on the continent, NCDs like cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes are becoming the leading causes of death in many African countries. “These are the top three killers of our communities today. The epidemiological landscape in Africa has shifted extremely over the past 15 years. The rise of NCDs is largely driven by changes in lifestyle, including poor dietary habits and less physical activity,” he said. He noted the role of public education for Africans to embrace healthier habits, such as reducing alcohol consumption, cutting down on salt and sugar intake, and increasing physical activity. “We ought to have a balanced approach to healthcare that tackles both infectious and non-communicable diseases, ensuring that health systems are capable of addressing the full spectrum of health challenges.” He argued that technological innovations, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), could provide solutions to the continent’s healthcare challenges, from disease prevention to workforce training. The Minister cited Rwanda’s efforts to bridge the gap in radiology services. With only 15 radiologists in the entire country, Rwanda faces a huge shortage of professionals capable of providing imaging and diagnostics. Dr Nsanzimana suggested that AI-powered tools could enable these few radiologists to serve millions of people, transforming the delivery of healthcare services in Rwanda and across Africa. “Imagine what we can do for the continent if we equip our healthcare workers with the right technology”, he said. The Minister called on African countries to embrace technology as a tool to enhance healthcare delivery, improve diagnostics, and speed up the training of health professionals. He pointed out that while training more healthcare workers will take time, technology can help fill the gap by providing virtual healthcare services and diagnostic support.
