Recent geopolitical shifts have led to drastic cuts in aid, posing a serious threat to global health programs worldwide. Governments now face a volatile international funding landscape, diminished trust in external donors, rising debt servicing obligations, and weak domestic budgets for public health systems. Compounding these challenges, many countries that depend heavily on external health financing are also experiencing rapid population growth. By 2050, the African continent will be home to the world’s largest and youngest population.
Yet, half of Sub-Saharan African countries still rely on external donors, creating widespread uncertainty across the health ecosystem. This moment presents not only an urgent imperative but also a powerful opportunity for regional, national, and global health champions to act decisively—to reimagine and build sustainable, domestically led health financing models. There is growing consensus around the need for locally anchored solutions, driven by national leadership, innovation, and accountability.
The ONE Campaign has already convened African leaders and global development partners to chart a new way forward. The result: six practical, politically grounded pathways to strengthen health financing. This session will explore three of the most urgent and promising strategies:
• Expanding fair and effective health taxes
• Mobilizing diaspora capital through transparent bonds
• Positioning the health economy as a pillar of inclusive economic growth
However, these efforts cannot succeed in isolation. The conversation will also emphasize the importance of reducing debt burdens, improving coordination among stakeholders, and reforming global financing rules that currently constrain progress. Bringing together voices from government, multilateral institutions, and the private sector, this session will examine how to scale these solutions, unlock greater domestic investment, and build a health financing architecture that is led by national governments, rooted in shared responsibility, and designed for the future.
Participants will be challenged to move beyond traditional aid models, embrace bold new approaches, and contribute to building a resilient health system grounded in equity, innovation, and long-term vision.
