July 17, 2025 (ENTEBBE, Uganda): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), through its Africa Demographic Dividend and Sexual and Reproductive Health (A2DSRH) Programme, has kicked off a regional meeting convening senior health financing and planning experts from the Ministries of Health and Finance of the IGAD Member States and partners to validate the IGAD Regional Health Financing Strategy and the Feasibility Study Report on the Establishment of a Regional Health Organisation.
The IGAD Regional Health Financing Strategy is aimed at reinforcing regional health systems, increasing domestic resource mobilisation, and improving healthcare delivery in alignment with the decisions of the African Union Assembly and the vision of the Africa Leadership Meeting (ALM) – Investing in Health Declaration, which called for scaling up domestic resource mobilisation and institutionalising Regional Health Financing Hubs for the realisation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by advancing innovative financing solutions and unified regional efforts to increase domestic investment and private sector engagement in health. The Strategy further explores strategic interventions for health financing in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
The experts are also validating the Feasibility Study Report to inform the establishment of the Regional Health Organisation, for improved regional health programming and implementation, and for coordinating health policies and enhancing collaboration among Member States.
During the official opening, Mr Mubarak Mabuya, in his welcoming remarks on behalf of Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, the IGAD Executive Secretary, appreciated AUDA-NEPAD for partnering with IGAD on this initiative and thanked the Member States for their commitment and dedication towards the finalisation and endorsement of these documents.
“A well-financed, coordinated, and resilient health system is the cornerstone of sustainable development and human security. Thus, our being here is an affirmation of our shared responsibility to build health systems that are inclusive, equitable, and sustainable, requiring us as a region to develop a roadmap that not only mobilises resources but maximises impact across borders, sectors and generations,” Mr Mabuya said.
Representing the Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD, H.E. Madame Nardos Bekele-Thomas, remarks were made by Ms Noleen Nomathamsanqa Bhebhe, Programme Officer of the Programme for Investment and Financing in Africa’s Health Sector (PIFAH), who appreciated IGAD for its steadfast commitment and leadership in advancing the domestic health financing agenda and recognising it as the bedrock of sustainability. She reminded IGAD countries of the timely and relevant nature of the gathering, due to the global health financing landscape undergoing fundamental shifts, underlining the urgency for Africa to take charge of its own health financing agenda.
Ms Nomathamsanqa Bhebhe highlighted the importance of technical support and political backing from each Member State as they strive to increase national investments in health. She equally called for their commitment to focus on equity and efficiency—not only on resource mobilisation, but also on the allocation and utilisation of those resources.
She asked Member States to prioritise high-impact and cost-effective interventions—particularly for underserved and marginalised populations—recognising health financing as an investment, not a cost, and ensuring efficiency in public financial management for health to deliver more value for money spent.
“Together, we are not just facilitating policy dialogue; we are building systems, platforms, and institutions that will support sustainable and domestically driven health financing in the region,” Ms Nomathamsanqa Bhebhe concluded.
As IGAD Chair, Mr Ahmed Said Assoweh from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Djibouti appreciated IGAD for the initiative towards improved health financing for stronger national health systems. He reiterated that a regional response to health financing challenges is urgent, calling on Member States to collaborate as they address cross-cutting resource challenges for collectively improved and sustainable health systems.
On behalf of the Republic of Uganda, Dr Charles Olaro, the Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health, while delivering his official remarks, informed the meeting that none of the IGAD countries has yet achieved the long-standing goal of allocating 15% of national budgets to health. Meanwhile, the financial pressure on households continues to accumulate, threatening financial protection and equity—requiring regional collaboration to address these challenges collectively through a strong regional platform and a pragmatic and actionable roadmap and framework.
“As Member States of IGAD, we share more than geography—we share values, aspirations, and many of the same challenges, requiring regional solidarity and collective action through the necessary and visionary step of establishing a Regional Health Organisation to address climate shocks, fiscal limits, shifting donor agendas, among others,” Dr Olaro added.
One of the outcomes of this meeting, in addition to the Member State validation, is the development of an actionable and implementable roadmap for the IGAD Regional Health Organisation.
The AUDA-NEPAD-supported validation workshop is being attended by high-level representatives from the Ministries of Health and Finance, comprising Directors, Commissioners, Finance and Planning experts, as well as health experts from IGAD, AUDA-NEPAD, and regional consultants to ensure diverse and comprehensive engagement.
