Dr. Raji Tajudeen, Acting Deputy Director General of Africa CDC, voiced this call while representing the organization’s Director General, Dr. Jean Kaseya, at the fourth meeting of the Regional Ministerial Steering Committee for East Africa (ReSCO) in Dar es Salaam.
Africa can no longer rely on fragmented and reactive measures when responding to health emergencies if the continent intends to strengthen its own security and improve the manageability of its healthcare systems. «We cannot keep doing the same thing in the same way and expect different results. We need to take the bull by the horns and move from reactive measures to proactive and coordinated actions», he said.
He also noted that one of the key priorities should be to expand Africa’s capacity to produce medicines, vaccines, diagnostic tools, and other essential medical products locally. According to Dr. Raji Tajudeen, Africa CDC, together with member countries, is working to increase the share of local production from less than 10% of the continent’s medical product needs to 60% by 2040.
At the same time, he emphasized that achieving this goal would require African countries to reconsider their role in the global healthcare architecture so that they could exert greater influence on decisions concerning their healthcare systems and reduce excessive duplication of efforts among development partners.
Along with promoting local production, Dr. Tajudeen called for an increase in domestic spending on healthcare, once again reminding member states of the need to strive to meet the goal set out in the Abuja Declaration — to allocate 15% of national budgets to this sector. He noted that only three African countries consistently meet this commitment and emphasized that governments should view healthcare funding as a long‑term investment, not as an emergency measure.
Tanzania, he said, serves as an example of what can be achieved with sustained political will and investment, especially in the area of maternal and child health. As evidence, he cited the decline in Tanzania’s maternal mortality rate from 556 cases per 100,000 live births about ten years ago to approximately 103 per 100,000, noting that serious healthcare challenges can be overcome if they are given priority. «Tanzania has shown Africa and the world that this is possible when we make predictable, sustainable, and innovative investments in maternal and child health a priority. With the right political leadership, what we once considered insurmountable is actually achievable», he noted.
He positively assessed the efforts of President Samia Suluhu Hassan to make maternal and child health a national and continental priority and called on other states to use Tanzania’s experience.
Dr. Tajudeen also advocated for closer regional cooperation, including the exchange of medical data, joint surveillance, strengthening laboratory systems, and coordinated preparation and response. According to him, the growing threats of disease outbreaks and other health emergencies make cooperation necessary, as no country is capable of protecting its population alone. «The Africa we want will not be built with speeches alone. It will be built through our collective actions», he said.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has positively assessed Tanzania’s reforms and investments in the healthcare sector, particularly measures to expand access to quality medical care, strengthen primary care, and promote universal health coverage. The WHO representative in Tanzania, Dr. Alex Gasasira, conveyed the UN’s message at the ReSCO meeting, noting President Samia’s support for the African Union Roadmap for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
Tanzania’s experience shows how strong national leadership and consistent investment can help advance the broader African health agenda. He emphasized that health security is a shared challenge that requires strengthening preparedness, surveillance, laboratory capacity, and cross‑border coordination, as new threats continue to put pressure on national health systems.«Investments in the health of women, newborns, and children are among the most significant investments any country can make, because they save lives, strengthen human capital, reduce inequality, and support sustainable development», he said.
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