The African diaspora and private sector together represent Africa’s most underutilized assets for health financing and innovation. Africa CDC’s Green Book entitled “Africa’s Health Financing in A New Era” and the Compact both emphasize the role these two can play in the New Public Health Order for Africa. By bridging these forces through structured engagement, this side event will provide a bold and practical pathway to transform Africa’s health systems from aid-dependency to self-reliance. Africa is at a critical inflection point in health financing and systems strengthening. A projected USD 12 billion annual funding gap, coupled with a 70% decline in donor aid, threatens to reverse decades of health gains across the continent. While aid has played a pivotal role in the past, the era of dependence is ending, and African nations must now lead in forging sustainable, resilient health systems. The African diaspora, estimated at over 200 million people worldwide, sends more than USD 90 billion in annual remittances—surpassing the total of development assistance to the continent.
Beyond financial remittances, diaspora professionals bring unmatched knowledge, global networks, entrepreneurship, and research expertise. Harnessing this dual financial and intellectual capital offers Africa an unparalleled opportunity to drive self-reliant, innovative health systems. Parallel to this, the private sector in Africa has become an increasingly important actor in health financing and delivery. From health insurance and digital health platforms to pharmaceutical production and social impact investing, the private sector is proving that sustainable, market-driven models can deliver impact at scale. Yet, effective partnerships between governments, the diaspora, and private sector actors remain limited and fragmented. This side event will spotlight how Africa can structurally mobilize diaspora resources and private sector investments together, creating a catalytic force for health transformation. It seeks to move from fragmented, ad-hoc initiatives to coordinated platforms and financing mechanisms that align with continental priorities, including universal health coverage (UHC), pandemic preparedness, and innovation in health delivery.