President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the critical need for African nations to establish self-reliance during health emergencies.

Stressing that health security is deeply tied to economic development, Ramaphosa believes Africa can no longer afford to be at the “back of the global queue” for vital medical supplies, as witnessed during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Writing in his weekly newsletter to the nation on Monday, Ramaphosa urged the continent to build the capacity to protect itself before the next global crisis strikes.

He outlined a comprehensive strategy to fortify domestic health systems, emphasising that preparation cannot wait until an outbreak occurs.

He suggested the establishment of public health institutes in every African country and that every community health worker must be empowered with proper resources, alongside the deployment of early tracking systems to detect new diseases, and the manufacturing of local diagnostics, medicines, and vaccines.

He also urged for the strengthening of the African Medicines Agency to standardise regulation and the creation of centralised procurement systems to guarantee steady demand for local producers.

He highlighted that African nations are already shifting from passive recipients of aid to active managers of their own crises, noting that continental leaders have officially agreed to establish the African Epidemics Fund and that African nations are actively self-funding responses to recent Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

South Africa has pledged $13.5-million to the Africa CDC to treat and limit the spread of Ebola.

Ramaphosa warned that the spread of dangerous diseases severely disrupts economies, arguing that health security is directly linked to continental development, safety, and economic stability.

As the appointed African Union Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response, Ramaphosa stated that South Africa will continue to demand a fair global pandemic agreement built on equal partnership rather than charity.

He urged governments not to let their guard down, despite other pressing domestic challenges such as unemployment, poverty, crime, and corruption.