On September 21, 2026, President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana launched the Accra Reset Presidential Council's report, titled "A Sovereign Future for Health," on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly Meeting in New York. The report presents 10 practical recommendations to enhance global health sovereignty. This initiative aims to create a new global bargain for health, focusing on ownership, cooperation, and real protection for individuals worldwide.
The Accra Reset Presidential Council consists of notable members, including former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and Laura Chinchilla. President Mahama expressed his gratitude to these members for their work on the report. He emphasized that the responsibility now lies with them to deliver on the report's promises, stating, "We have come full circle; let us not go around in circles."
The report's recommendations will be translated into country-level compacts through collaboration with governments, global health bodies, development finance institutions, philanthropies, and the private sector. President Mahama invited strategic partners from various countries, including Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Africa, to partner with Ghana and the Accra Reset Presidential Council. The goal is to build self-sustaining networks connecting research, regulatory oversight, local manufacturing, and reliable distribution.
President Mahama emphasized that the sovereign health agenda is not about isolationism but rather seeking pragmatic interdependence and equal partnerships. He believes that stronger, self-reliant Southern partners are not a threat to the Global North; instead, resilient health systems in Africa and Asia make the entire world safer. The President warmly welcomed leaders from France, Spain, the United Kingdom, the G77, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Commonwealth who attended the event.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown will mobilize global political leadership around the New Global Bargain. President Mahama disagrees with those who argue that structural reform should wait until global geopolitical tensions ease. He believes that crises are opportunities for forging new paradigms and that health is a critical area for reform. The President highlighted that maternal and child health will be the first critical test of this new approach.
Globally, nearly seven out of 10 maternal deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa, with Ghana still three times above the recommended SDG target. President Mahama mentioned that through the Mother Africa initiative and the Business United for Mothers, Babies and Youth (BUMBY) campaign, they are bringing public policy and corporate responsibility together to safeguard the lives of mothers and children. These initiatives will stress-test the new financial and governance architecture, delivering measurable results.
President Mahama expressed his appreciation to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), for his support of global health reform. As Ghana prepares to assume the Chairmanship of the African Union in 2027, they will integrate the Reset Agenda into Africa's collective policy framework, working collaboratively with the Non-Aligned Movement and the G77 plus China.
Key points
- President Mahama launches Accra Reset Presidential Council's report with 10 recommendations for global health sovereignty
- The report aims to create a new global bargain for health, focusing on ownership, cooperation, and real protection
- Ghana will assume the Chairmanship of the African Union in 2027, integrating the Reset Agenda into Africa's collective policy framework
