{
  "id": 11938354,
  "title": "Mahama urges African governments to treat healthcare as an investment, not budget cost",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/mahama-urges-african-governments-to-treat-healthcare-as-an-investment",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-04T13:29:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/mahama-urges-african-governments-to-treat-healthcare-as-an-investment-not-budget-cost/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President John Mahama has urged African governments to reevaluate their approach to healthcare financing. In his call for increased investment in the sector, Mahama emphasized that healthcare should be viewed as an economic opportunity rather than a mere budget cost. This shift in perspective, he argued, could drive economic growth, generate jobs, bolster human capital, and promote macroeconomic stability across the continent. Mahama made his remarks at the Health Plenary of the Alamein Africa Forum in Egypt.\n\nThe Ghanaian president cited research from the Copenhagen Consensus and the Lancet Commission, both of which found that targeted healthcare investments could yield significant economic returns. For every dollar invested in basic emergency, maternal, and newborn care, the Copenhagen Consensus found a $87 economic and social return. Similarly, the Lancet Commission noted that improved health status contributed to nearly a quarter of total income growth in developing economies during the early 2000s.\n\nMahama also highlighted Africa's heavy reliance on imported medicines and vaccines, which currently account for over 70% of pharmaceuticals and nearly 99% of vaccines on the continent. This dependency not only drains billions of dollars from African economies but also leaves countries vulnerable to fluctuations in global aid. He emphasized that the current trend of declining donor assistance could exacerbate the situation, with OECD projections suggesting a potential 29% to 46% reduction in health aid compared to 2024 levels.\n\nTo address this challenge, Mahama called on African nations to mobilize domestic private capital and strengthen local pharmaceutical production. He argued that the situation presents a significant opportunity for domestic investment, particularly given Africa's growing population, which is projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050. With increasing demand for essential medicines, chronic disease management, and biologics, Mahama stressed that healthcare and pharmaceutical manufacturing can serve as strategic sectors for retaining economic value on the continent, creating jobs, and enhancing health security.",
  "summary": "President John Mahama has called for a major rethink of healthcare financing in Africa, urging governments and investors to treat the sector as an economic investment rather than merely a cost to national budgets.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Adom Online",
        "title": "Mahama urges African governments to treat healthcare as an investment, not budget cost",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/mahama-urges-african-governments-to-treat-healthcare-as-an-investment-11948316",
        "published": "2026-10-04T15:12:28.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}