Africa: Somalia Backs AU Health Agenda At Accra Summit

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a report from Shabelle Media Network, reported that Somalia used the African Union’s 20th Extraordinary Summit on Health in Accra, Ghana, to restate its support for a continent-wide agenda focused on stronger health systems and expanded primary care. The article, dated July 23, 2026, said Health Minister Dr. Ali Haji Adam attended on behalf of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

According to Shabelle, Adam told delegates that Somalia has made primary health care a national priority, with the aim of widening fair access to quality services. The summit brought together African heads of state and AU officials to discuss priorities including health-system resilience, primary healthcare expansion, ending AIDS by 2030, reducing preventable maternal deaths, and improving readiness for both infectious and non-communicable diseases.

The report said Somalia is pursuing reforms that include strengthening health facilities, increasing the health workforce, improving community-based services, digitizing health systems and enhancing emergency preparedness. Adam also backed the Accra Declaration and the AU’s broader goal of building resilient health systems across Africa.

Shabelle reported that Somalia urged greater cooperation among African countries, more domestic health financing and collective action toward universal health coverage and sustainable development. The development matters because Somalia, like many countries in the region, faces pressure to improve basic health access while preparing for emergencies and disease threats; the article frames the Accra summit as part of a wider AU effort to coordinate national commitments around those challenges.