The landscape of global health funding is undergoing a seismic shift. For decades, international aid has been a cornerstone of public health across Africa, helping to combat infectious diseases and build critical infrastructure. However, this model is now at a crossroads. Donor nations are increasingly redirecting funds toward addressing domestic and global crises, such as climate change and security, leading to a steady decline in traditional health aid.
Concurrently, Africa faces a “double burden” of disease: the unfinished agenda of communicable illnesses like HIV and malaria, alongside the rapid rise of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer, which place a chronic and costly strain on underprepared systems. It was against this urgent backdrop of dwindling external support and escalating internal needs that Strathmore University Business School and the Kenya Healthcare Federation convened the Africa Health Systems Forum 2025. It’s a central mission to answer one of the continent’s most pressing questions: how can Africa build a self-reliant health future?
The Africa Health Systems Forum 2025 saw health leaders issue a unified call: Africa must forge its own path to resilient healthcare by replacing donor dependency with sustainable domestic financing and innovation.
The conference, hosted on Monday, 3rd November 2025, by Strathmore University Business School and the Kenya Healthcare Federation, brought together policymakers, researchers, and private sector leaders to address the continent’s evolving health landscape, marked by declining foreign aid and rising domestic challenges.
In his opening address, Prof. Francis Wafula, Professor of Health Systems at SBS, set the tone with an insightful address on the ongoing transformation within Africa’s health systems. He highlighted a critical mismatch: Africa’s health systems are still designed for communicable diseases, while the African disease burden is shifting to complex non-communicable conditions. He also noted that a growing, informed younger generation is demanding better services and accountability.
The first plenary session, themed: A New Chapter in Global Health, set the financial agenda with Dr. Kanyenje Gakombe, Chairman of the Kenya Healthcare Federation, arguing that attracting investment requires building trust. “Capital is shy. We must raise our trust capital,” Dr. Gakombe noted.
Giving the keynote address, Dr. Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Kenya Ministry of Health, called for stronger domestic resource mobilization and leadership. He delivered a powerful call to action: “We must stop waiting for others to save us. It is time to mobilize our own resources and shape our national mindset toward sustainability.
The first panel delved into the topic of: The Evolution of the Health Financing Landscape and featured experts, including Dr. Anne Musuva, Dr. Elizabeth Irungu, Dr. Daniel Mwai, Dr. Newton Omale, and Dr. Elizabeth Wangia. The discussion traced the shift from aid-driven models to country-led and financed health programs, stressing the importance of data, surveillance, innovation, and private sector participation in achieving universal health outcomes.
The second panel, themed: New Realities: How Health Systems Are Adjusting to Reduced Aid, delved into how public and private actors are adapting to declining donor support. The panelists, including Alice Kang’ethe, Dr. Tim Theuri, Dr. Chris Barasa, Dr. Anita Musiega, Douglas Bosire, and Dr. Matiko Riro, showcased innovations that are improving efficiency, integrating services, and expanding local financing.
The third panel, themed: Strengthening Future Health Systems Through Partnerships and Investment, healthcare leaders, including Khatra Ali, Maurine Murenga, Lucy Gathoni, Dr. Elizabeth Gitau, Pauline Irungu, and Dr. Kadondi Kasera, shared actionable strategies for scaling successful interventions. The session emphasized the importance of collaboration among governments, private investors, and international partners in building resilient and sustainable health systems.
In a virtual address, Dr. Ahmed Ogwell, CEO and President of VillageReach, urged Africa to take ownership of its future. “Our continent is not poor,” he said. “We have enough resources to design and sustain our own health programs.”
One of the most emotional moments of the day occurred during the fireside chat titled “Unbowed Stories of Resilience.” The speakers, Joseph Okutoyi, a former counselor at Liverpool VCT, and Jerop Limo, an HIV Advocate and 2025 goalkeeper, shared deeply personal experiences of navigating a health system under immense strain, where the growing needs of a population and reduced funding are stretching resources to breaking point.
The conference concluded with a closing keynote by Prof. Francis Wafula, who reflected on the day’s deliberations. He called on all stakeholders to move from discussion to action, emphasizing that Africa’s health future depends on sustainable financing, local leadership, and strategic partnerships.
Article by Eddie Grigan
Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!
Your journey to business excellence starts here. Subscribe today and be at the forefront of innovation and leadership.
