President John Dramani Mahama has warned that cuts in United States aid to Africa could push millions of people into poverty by 2026.
Speaking at the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Mr. Mahama said the suspension of USAID support could have serious social and economic effects across the continent.
“It is estimated that the direct consequences of these aid suspensions could push about 5.7 million Africans into poverty by the end of 2026,” he said.
Mr. Mahama also warned that the long-term impact could be worse if African countries fail to strengthen their healthcare systems.
According to him, projections show that up to 9 million preventable deaths could occur by 2030 due to changes in global health funding.
“We were told that by 2030, 9 million preventable deaths could occur due to these shifts,” he stated.
The President has repeatedly called for stronger local healthcare systems across Africa to reduce dependence on foreign aid.
Mr. Mahama disclosed that Ghana has already lost about $78 million following the United States’ decision to suspend aid to some African countries.
He used the global health meeting to call for reforms in international health financing.
According to him, Africa can no longer rely on what he described as an outdated donor-dependent system.
He urged African countries to invest more in domestic healthcare funding to protect citizens from future external shocks.
