47 African Countries Meet in Ethiopia to Tackle Growing Health Challenges

Health ministers from 47 African countries have gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for talks focused on improving healthcare across the continent.

The three-day meeting is being held under the World Health Organisation’s Regional Committee for Africa.

Among the major issues on the table are healthcare financing, disease outbreaks, health-worker shortages, emergency response and the use of technology in healthcare.

The ministers are also expected to discuss the Africa Health Workforce Agenda 2026–2035, which aims to help African countries train, employ and retain more healthcare professionals.

Another proposal involves establishing a regional health data hub to help governments identify health threats earlier and make better decisions.

The meeting comes at a time when several African countries continue to battle serious public-health challenges.

Participants are expected to adopt decisions that could influence health policies and investment across the continent.