President John Dramani Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has called on the private sector to partner with the government to achieve Ghana’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) targets.
He said the country’s health ambitions could not be realised without strong and strategic public–private partnerships (PPPs), especially in diagnostics, treatment services and the management of health infrastructure.
President Mahama made the call at the opening of the second World Health Expo (WHX) Leaders Summit in Accra on December 9, 2025.
The two-day meeting, which brings together Heads of State, Health Ministers, global investors, industry leaders, multilateral executives and technology innovators from across Africa and beyond, aims to explore strategies to accelerate healthcare transformation and build resilient health systems on the continent.
Held on the theme, “Catalysing Africa’s Health Revolution through Investment, Innovation, Impact and Infrastructure,” the summit highlights Africa’s urgency to strengthen health sovereignty and long-term preparedness.
President Mahama said Ghana was aligning with this continental agenda through a set of key initiatives, including the “Mahama Cares” policy, Universal Free Primary Healthcare, and the retooling and modernisation of health facilities to drive health sector transformation.
“Crucially, Ghana is inviting private sector partners and their support into strategic PPPs to expand the diagnostic, imaging, laboratory-based network, and specialised services nationwide.
“These three pillars are not isolated programmes. They form the backbone of Ghana’s health transformation agenda and our contribution to the broader African sovereign health ecosystem,” he stated.
He added that conditions on the continent were right for bold investment in health manufacturing, supply chain integration and technology development, urging global investors to partner African governments in building a resilient health ecosystem.
“Africa seeks a new paradigm of partnership; one that is defined not by dependency, but by co-investment, innovation, and shared values,” he said.
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, said WHX was a catalyst for advancing leadership on the African continent, noting that collaboration remained central to the continent’s progress.
“To achieve this future, partnership is not optional; it is indispensable. We call for partnerships that are respectful, strategic, and transformative.
“Partnerships that build institutions, not bypass them. Partnerships that strengthen local capacity, not replace it. Partnerships that deliver value to all parties, not just one side. Partnerships that see Africa not as a recipient, but as a co-architect of global health.”
President for the Middle East, India, Türkiye, and Africa at Informa Markets, Peter Hall, reaffirmed the commitment of WHX leaders to strengthening Africa’s health systems.
“We are committed to ensuring that this WHS leaders meeting is not only insightful, but truly catalytic.
“A platform that sparks new alliances, amplifies local and regional ambitions, and accelerates the momentum that Ghana and Africa truly deserves,” he said.