Addis Ababa – 26 August 2026

The Seventy-sixth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa is continuing in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, bringing together Ministers of Health and senior officials from the 47 Member States to discuss key health priorities, policies, and strategies across the continent.

During today’s session, African countries endorsed the Africa Health Workforce Agenda 2026–2035, committing to train, employ, and retain around 3 million additional health workers by 2035. The agenda aims to address challenges related to health workforce planning, education, employment, and retention, helping strengthen health systems and improve access to quality health services.

Health Ministers also endorsed a regional strategy to advance early childhood development outcomes, highlighting the importance of the early years of life in building strong foundations for children’s health, learning, well-being, and future development.

The session is also addressing the Strategy for Financing the Future of Health in the African Region 2026–2035, the regulation of medical products, health emergency preparedness and response, as well as the use of data and artificial intelligence to strengthen primary healthcare.

These discussions form part of broader regional efforts to strengthen health systems and promote greater equity in access to healthcare, reflecting the importance of the right to health as a fundamental human right.

The Geneva Institute for Human Rights emphasizes the importance of international and regional cooperation in advancing the right to health and ensuring that all people have access to adequate, safe, and quality healthcare without discrimination.