COMESA Health Ministers Meet in Lusaka to Bolster Regional Health Systems
The 2nd COMESA Ministers of Health Meeting opened today in Lusaka, Zambia, with health leaders from across the region convening to address pressing health challenges and strengthen regional systems.
Vice President W. K. Mutale-Nalumango, MP, who officially opened the meeting, urged delegates to act boldly, with unity and foresight, to tackle the health sector’s most urgent issues.
She emphasised that health security is inseparable from economic stability, citing the recent Mpox outbreak and climate-related health emergencies as examples of the need for resilience.
Highlighting Africa’s heavy disease burden, Mrs Nalumango noted that the continent still accounts for over 90 percent of global malaria cases, while non-communicable diseases cause 37 percent of deaths – a figure that continues to rise.
She also warned of a growing “silent crisis” in mental health, with depression alone costing African economies an estimated 4 percent of GDP in lost productivity.
The Vice President outlined the meeting’s focus areas, which include scaling up local pharmaceutical production – as over 70 percent of medicines in sub-Saharan Africa are imported – strengthening cross-border disease surveillance, integrating mental health into primary care, improving supply chain resilience, and aligning health strategies with the African Union’s new public health order.
Mrs Nalumango further called for increased investment in evidence-based policymaking, underpinned by research and innovation, to ensure access to quality healthcare for all and prepare the region for future health threats.
