Former presidential candidate and economist, Kingsley Moghalu, has called for African countries to focus on funding healthcare from their own resources instead of relying on foreign aid.
In a statement shared on Friday via X, Moghalu criticised the continent’s dependence on external assistance for healthcare interventions, calling it an unsustainable strategy.
His remarks follow the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organisation under former President Donald Trump, which Moghalu described as a “wake-up call” for African nations to take greater responsibility for their healthcare systems.
“African countries must make funding for healthcare from their own resources a priority,” Moghalu said.
“Reliance on foreign aid for healthcare interventions is not wisdom.”
He also highlighted the misallocation of resources in many African nations, pointing out that the aid received is often insignificant compared to the funds squandered on political luxuries and corruption.
“What many African countries receive in aid is nothing compared to the resources that are wasted on the comfort of politicians or corruptly misappropriated,” he stated.
While acknowledging that some African countries have shown better fiscal responsibility, Moghalu urged governments across the continent to treat healthcare funding as a critical national priority, ensuring the long-term sustainability and independence of their healthcare systems.
