
Ghana hosts summit with call to reimagine global health system
Convened by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, the summit seeks to foster a new era of health sovereignty, rooted in national ownership, investment, and leadership.
Mahama called for efforts to redesign the architecture that has excluded Africa's voices, needs, and innovations during the opening.
The Ghanaian president said Africa needs to develop health systems that not only respond to health crises but also generate resilience, promote equity, and enhance the dignity of its people, calling for a new approach to health financing on the continent.
"I extend an open invitation to all nations represented here to join us in building an African health investment ecosystem that is driven by purpose and is powered by equity and anchored in our sovereignty," the president added.
Dignitaries, including World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and senior officials from other African countries, also attended the summit.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Malaysia Sun
15 hours ago
- Malaysia Sun
Healthcare tourism unleashes momentum for China's silver economy
HARBIN, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's silver economy is shifting from basic support to quality consumption that emphasizes personal experience and attentive service, a move creating fresh opportunities for healthcare tourism, said Han Hua, vice president of the China Association of Social Welfare and Senior Service. Han made the remarks at the "Integrated Development of Healthcare Tourism and the Silver Economy" forum during the 2025 Entrepreneurs Sun Island Annual Conference held on Monday in Harbin, capital city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. She joined scholars, experts and senior care representatives in discussing this emerging economic sector. Driven by policy support, market demand and technological innovation, China's elderly care services have expanded rapidly -- fueling robust growth in the silver economy, which is currently valued at approximately 7 trillion yuan (about 980 billion U.S. dollars) and is projected to reach 30 trillion yuan by 2035. As demand for senior-oriented services increases, healthcare tourism, positioned at the intersection of the silver economy and health industry, has become a key means to enhance elderly well-being and drive high-quality economic growth. Han emphasized the symbiotic relationship between healthcare tourism and the silver economy, noting that "healthcare tourism directly stimulates consumption across transportation, accommodation, catering, healthcare and cultural industries. It unlocks underutilized assets, boosts employment and generates sustained economic output." "Conversely, strengthened local economies enhance supporting infrastructure like transport, medical facilities and cultural amenities, positioning healthcare tourism as a significant contributor to regional development," she said. Han noted that healthcare tourism now accounts for nearly 20 percent of silver economy consumption -- with annual sector growth estimated at 15 to 20 percent. Song Shouyi, director general of the Kangyang Branch of the China Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, said that senior healthcare tourism is reshaping China's tourism landscape. "Senior travel has evolved from 'compensatory trips' to mainstream consumption, while projects are shifting from resource-driven to service-driven collaborative models," Song said. Future projects, he added, should pivot from "large-scale and all-inclusive" to "smaller, specialized offerings" targeting niche demographics -- leveraging opportunities in chronic disease management, cultural engagement for educated retirees and evolving intergenerational support structures. Du Peng, dean of the School of Population and Health and director of the Institute of Gerontology at Renmin University of China, noted improving conditions for healthcare tourism, including stronger market foundations, refined policies, shifting consumption patterns and growing acceptance of positive aging mindsets. He stressed China's transition into a "longevity society," urging local authorities to develop big data platforms for smart elderly care services and promote urban-rural integration to bolster both social welfare and the silver economy's sustainability. "While the silver economy encompasses three key objectives, namely well-being enhancement, economic growth and social development, improving people's livelihoods remains fundamental," Du said. "Only by tangibly raising seniors' quality of life and dignity, and extending these benefits across society, can China fully unlock the consumption potential of healthcare tourism and related silver economy sectors."


The Star
16 hours ago
- The Star
More Bruneians stop smoking, engage in sports
FILE PHOTO: Chinese Wushu coach Lihui (back), who serves as the coach of the first-ever Brunei national Wushu team, guides a student at a stadium in Brunei capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan, on Nov. 16, 2018. The participation of Bruneians in physical activity has increased by 8.4 per cent compared to 2022-2024. - Xinhua BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: More Bruneians have stopped smoking and are actively involved in sports, a government minister has said on Tuesday (Aug 5). Based on the latest findings of the National Health and Nutritional Status Survey 2022-2023, the smoking rate among the population has shown a decrease of 19.9 per cent to 13.4 per cent in adults, while the participation of the population in physical activity increased by 8.4 per cent, Minister of Health Md Isham Jaafar said at the legislative council. He said Brunei's Ministry of Health has outlined three national performance indicators, namely increased life expectancy, reduction in premature death rates due to non-communicable diseases, and community participation in health activities, for the implementation of Brunei Vision 2035. Priority has been given to the strengthening of health infrastructure and digital capabilities. He said the emphasis is on early prevention, regular screening, and more systematic chronic disease management. In addition, access to early screening services for major diseases such as cervical cancer and breast cancer has been enhanced. - Xinhua


New Straits Times
21 hours ago
- New Straits Times
African swine fever outbreaks intensify in Vietnam
Your browser does not support the audio element. HANOI: Vietnam has been hit by an increasing number of outbreaks of African swine fever, with the number of infected pigs more than tripling in two weeks, state media said yesterday. The country has detected 972 African swine fever outbreaks this year, up from 514 reported up to the middle of last month, the Tien Phong newspaper reported. The number of infected pigs has risen to more than 100,000 from 30,000 over the same period, the paper said, citing Vietnam's Agriculture Ministry. The infected pigs have died or been culled. "ASF has broken out on a very large scale across the country, seriously affecting the livestock industry, especially the supply of pork," Animal Husbandry Association of Vietnam chairman Nguyen Xuan Duong was quoted as saying. He added that no province is safe from the disease. African swine fever has disrupted the global pork market for years. In the worst outbreak over 2018-19, about half the domestic pig population died in China — the world's biggest producer — causing losses estimated at over US$100 billion. The outbreaks in Vietnam last month prompted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to send an urgent directive to provinces and government agencies to deploy measures to curb the disease. Though Vietnam was the first country reportedly to have developed an African swine fever vaccine that has been in commercial use since 2023, officials said the vaccination rate was low due to concerns about costs and efficiency. "It is just a supporting tool that can't replace basic prevention measures," Duong said. AVAC Vietnam JSC, the country's main African swine fever vaccine producer, didn't respond to Reuters' request for comment.