On September 23, Côte d'Ivoire's Vice President Tiémoko Meyliet Koné presided over a high-level meeting in New York to discuss Africa's health sovereignty. The meeting, organized by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (Onusida), brought together major stakeholders in global health, including Onusida's Executive Director Winnie Byanyima and Nardos Bekele-Thomas, Director-General of the African Union Development Agency (Auda-Nepad). Koné emphasized the need for Africa to strengthen its capacity to produce health products.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. Koné highlighted the importance of the Accra Reset initiative, launched in 2025 under the leadership of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. This initiative aims to promote a new approach to international cooperation and enhance the capacity of Southern countries to define and implement their own development priorities, with health being a key area of focus.
According to Koné, Africa's health sovereignty does not mean isolating itself or producing all necessary health products alone. Rather, it involves strengthening the continent's capacity to secure supplies, consolidate its productive apparatus, stimulate innovation, and fully participate in the search for solutions to global health challenges. This can be achieved by increasing industrial and scientific capacities, developing local skills, and accelerating technology transfer.
Koné emphasized that a well-integrated African market is essential to promoting investments, supporting local production, and creating conditions for sustainable development of health industries. He stressed the importance of regional and international cooperation in achieving this goal. Africa's objective is to develop capacities that enable it to better respond to health crises while participating more significantly in the value chain related to medicines, vaccines, and health technologies.
The Vice President's call for action aligns with recommendations made under the Accra Reset initiative, which advocates for strengthening regional production, research, and regulatory capacities, as well as more equitable access to health technologies. Koné expressed his appreciation for Onusida's efforts and hoped that the meeting's conclusions would translate into concrete investments, production capacities, and results for populations.
Koné also held bilateral meetings with high-ranking officials, including Sheikh Shakhboot Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, and António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. During these meetings, he discussed cooperation and transmitted warm sentiments from President Ouattara.
The discussions reflect Côte d'Ivoire's commitment to promoting Africa's health sovereignty and its willingness to engage in international cooperation to achieve this goal. The country's efforts aim to ensure better access to safe, effective, and affordable health products for its populations.
Key points
- Tiémoko Meyliet Koné calls for strengthening Africa's capacity to produce health products.
- The Accra Reset initiative aims to promote a new approach to international cooperation and enhance the capacity of Southern countries.
- Africa's health sovereignty requires increasing industrial and scientific capacities, developing local skills, and accelerating technology transfer.
