H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya

Africa’s ability to protect the lives of its mothers, newborns, children, and adolescents is a defining measure of its sovereignty. The Africa Health Security and Sovereignty (AHSS) Agenda recognises that a resilient continent must finance, govern, and deliver essential primary health care services; develop and retain its health workforce; manufacture critical health products; and use trusted data and digital systems to guide action.

Maternal and child survival is central to Africa’s resilience, human capital, and sustainable development; yet maternal and child mortality remains Africa’s most persistent, but silent health emergency. Africa accounts for approximately 70 per cent of global maternal deaths, nearly half of all deaths among children under five, and more than half of the world’s zero-dose children. Most of these deaths are preventable. The priority now is to ensure that proven solutions reach every woman, newborn and child, wherever they live. Urgent action is required.

The Champion Roadmap for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (2026–2030), under the leadership of H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, provides a blueprint for action for women, newborns, children, and adolescents. It connects high-level political leadership with stronger primary health care systems, sustainable financing, product security, digital transformation, and accountable delivery. In doing so, it advances a fundamental principle of health sovereignty: African countries must lead, finance, and sustain the systems required to protect their populations.

Africa CDC in collaboration with the AU MCH Champion Secretariat will support evidence generation and use anchored in validated Member State data, primary health care transformation and integrated nutrition across the RMNCAH continuum, the continental acceleration of the community health workforce toward two million polyvalent community health workers, digital health governance aligned with each country’s national strategy, product security through the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism and the Platform for Harmonized African Health Products Manufacturing, and domestic financing and public financial management reform.

We call upon governments, partners, civil society, communities, academia, and the private sector to unite behind this Roadmap. Together, we must go the extra mile, Jiongeze Tuwavushe Salama, and transform political commitments into survival, dignity, and opportunity for every woman, newborn, child and adolescent across Africa.