Africa's Health Renaissance: A Call from a Moroccan Expert

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A Call for Health Sovereignty in Africa

At the opening of the 9th FAAPA General Assembly, a Moroccan health expert highlighted the urgent need for Africa to transform the current decade into a period of health renaissance. This transformation should be grounded in principles of sovereignty, equity, and territorial inclusion. The event, held in Marrakech, focused on the theme “Territorial Inclusion and Spatial Justice: African Press Agencies at the Heart of the Continent’s Transformations.”

Professor Youns Bjijou, Deputy Director of the Mohammed VI Foundation for Science and Health, emphasized that achieving health sovereignty is crucial for protecting the dignity, national cohesion, and security of all African citizens. He pointed out that Africa is currently facing a significant health transition characterized by a dual burden of infectious diseases and a growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases.

According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC), Africa accounts for approximately 94% of global malaria cases. Additionally, 65% of people living with HIV and 76% of malaria-related deaths among children under five are found in Africa. These statistics underscore the challenges faced by the continent's fragile health systems.

The WHO and Africa CDC also report a sharp increase in cancers, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases across Africa. This rise is largely attributed to urbanization, an aging population, and changing lifestyles. However, the continent faces significant obstacles in addressing these issues, including very low health spending per capita, critical shortages of medical personnel, and a heavy reliance on imported medicines and vaccines.

It is estimated that between 70 and 90% of medicines used in Africa are imported, while more than 99% of vaccines come from outside the continent. This dependency leaves countries vulnerable during global health emergencies. Professor Bjijou stressed that health sovereignty requires a shift from passive dependence to active local production, innovation, and secure supply chains.

He described resilient health systems as essential public goods and pillars of national security. Therefore, African institutions should view health not as a budgetary cost but as a strategic investment to build equitable and sovereign health systems across the continent.

Morocco, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, has placed health sovereignty, territorial equity, and citizen-centered care at the core of its development model. The reforms include the establishment of Territorial Health Groups, which decentralize governance, strengthen proximity care, and integrate digital systems to improve efficiency and accountability.

The Mohammed VI Foundation for Science and Health supports these reforms through excellence in healthcare delivery, training, research, and innovation. It extends state action in a flexible and responsive manner. Integrated hospital-university complexes have been developed in Dakhla, Agadir, Marrakech, and Rabat, alongside the Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences. These institutions train professionals in medicine, pharmacy, nursing, public health, and biomedical engineering.

These initiatives form part of Morocco’s broader commitment to support continental efforts through the sharing of expertise, capacity building, and African-led scientific solutions. Other initiatives include the African Academy of Health Sciences and the Dakhla Declaration.

Professor Bjijou urged African media, particularly press agencies, to play a vital role in advancing health sovereignty by translating policy into lived realities, combating misinformation, and giving voice to underserved territories. This responsibility aligns closely with the FAAPA General Assembly theme, which places territorial inclusion and spatial justice at the heart of Africa’s transformation agenda.