A meeting of African experts and stakeholders was held in Abidjan, from June 20 to 22, 2024, with the aim of discussing strategies to strengthen the role of the private sector in healthcare financing in West Africa.
At the 32nd AU Assembly held in February 2019 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Heads of State and Government endorsed the deliberations of the African Leaders’ Meeting (ALM) and adopted declarations in favor of mobilizing increased national resources for health in Africa. On June 20, 21 and 22, 2024, several experts met in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, under the aegis of theAfrican Union Commission’s AUDA-NEPAD in partnership with the African Business Council, the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry, as well as ministries of health and private sector experts, to mark a decisive step in the implementation of the declaration adopted in 2019.
Through this declaration, the African heads of state and government reaffirmed their commitment to increasing domestic investment in health, in line with Agenda 2063 and Africa’s Health Strategy 2016-2030.
The Abidjan meeting focused specifically on private sector involvement in healthcare within the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS). Objectives include disseminating the strategic framework for this commitment, sharing best practices, identifying strategies for increasing private investment, and defining an action plan for 2024/2025. Discussions also covered progress made, challenges to be overcome, and future opportunities for private investment in healthcare.
