President William Samoei Ruto has called for sweeping reforms to the global health system, saying the current architecture is failing African countries and must be reshaped to promote equity, preparedness, and resilient health systems.
The message was 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.
Ruto said the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare deep structural inequalities in global health, particularly the delayed access to vaccines across Africa, which left millions exposed during the crisis.
He urged reforms in global health financing to ensure countries can access timely, affordable, and predictable resources for pandemic preparedness and response.
The President noted that rising debt levels across the continent continue to shrink fiscal space, making it harder for governments to invest adequately in health systems.
Ruto reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage, revealing that more than 29 million Kenyans are now enrolled under the Social Health Insurance framework, with the most vulnerable fully supported by the government.
He also stressed the need for a One Health approach, faster growth of local pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing, and stronger collaborative research across Africa.
He cited institutions such as the Kenya National Public Health Institute and the Kenya BioVax Institute as key to supporting this agenda.
The President called on African nations to move away from fragmented and reactive health systems toward a coordinated, African-led global health framework built on shared sovereignty, sustainable domestic financing, and innovative continental funding mechanisms.