ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — President William Ruto has called for sweeping reforms to the global health architecture, urging African nations to unite behind a more equitable, resilient, and self-reliant system capable of responding to future pandemics.
In a statement delivered on his behalf by Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr. Ouma Oluga during a high-level African Union side event on multilateral health cooperation, the President said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed deep structural inequities in global health governance, particularly in vaccine access.
“The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the structural inequities within the global health system, including delayed vaccine access across Africa,” the statement read.
He added that reforms must promote equity, strengthen preparedness, and build resilient health systems, especially for developing economies.
President Ruto urged a redesign of global health financing mechanisms to ensure timely, affordable, and predictable resources for pandemic preparedness and response.
He noted that mounting debt vulnerabilities across African states have constrained fiscal space for health investments, undermining national response capacity during crises.
According to data from the African Union and the World Health Organization, many African countries received vaccines months after wealthier nations had secured supplies through advance purchase agreements, highlighting disparities that global health experts have since described as systemic rather than incidental.
Ruto said African countries must move from fragmented and reactive systems to a coordinated, South-led global health architecture anchored on shared sovereignty and sustainable domestic financing.
He proposed innovative continental funding mechanisms to reduce overreliance on external donors.
At the domestic level, the President reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage under the ongoing Social Health Insurance reforms. He said more than 29 million Kenyans have been enrolled under the new framework, with the most vulnerable fully subsidised by the Government.
The reforms follow the enactment of key health laws aimed at restructuring Kenya’s financing model to enhance equity and access, in line with Article 43 of the Constitution, which guarantees every person the right to the highest attainable standard of health.
President Ruto also underscored the importance of adopting a One Health approach that integrates human, animal, and environmental health systems.
He called for accelerated local pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing across Africa, supported by strengthened research collaboration among institutions such as the Kenya National Public Health Institute and the Kenya BioVax Institute.
The President urged African leaders to leverage multilateral platforms, including the African Union, to push collectively for structural reforms within global institutions. He maintained that equity in global health is not charity but justice grounded in fairness and shared responsibility.
As global negotiations continue on pandemic preparedness frameworks, Kenya’s position signals a broader continental demand for a rebalanced system—one that prioritises sovereignty, sustainable financing, and equal access to life-saving interventions.
