PRESS RELEASE: Francophone Parliamentarians Adopt Regional Action Plan to Strengthen Health Systems and Domestic Financing

Dakar, Senegal – 22 October 2025: Chairs of Health Committees and parliamentarians from Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Gabon, Guinea, and Senegal have adopted the Francophone Africa Regional Action Plan, reaffirming their leadership in strengthening sustainable health systems and increasing domestic investment in health.

The endorsement took place at the close of the meeting Financing the Future: Mobilising Parliamentary Leadership for Sustainable Health Systems in Francophone Africa, hosted by the National Assembly of Senegal in collaboration with the Global TB Caucus, the Coalition of Parliamentarians to End Malaria in Africa (COPEMA), the Global Parliamentary Platform on HIV (GPP), and supported by the Global Fund, AstraZeneca, and Molbio Diagnostics.

The declaration recognises the persistent burden of TB, HIV, malaria, and non-communicable diseases across the region and calls for stronger political leadership and coordination to address gaps in diagnostic access, health financing, and intersectoral collaboration.

“Political leadership is the foundation of sustainable progress in health. Through this plan, we are turning commitments into concrete action and ensuring that domestic financing remains a national priority,” said Hon. Khady Sarr, Chair of the Health Committee of the National Assembly of Senegal.

Hon. Virginie Dolama, Chair of Health, Social Affairs, Family and Gender of the National Assembly of Congo Brazzaville, added: “This plan strengthens our ability to collaborate and hold ourselves accountable for delivering equitable, accessible, and resilient health systems across Francophone Africa.”

“Investing in health means investing in people. Countries across our continent are committed to increasing domestic financing and building systems that are strong and equitable,” said H.E. Dr Ibrahima Sy, Minister of Health and Public Hygiene of Senegal.

The Regional Action Plan commits parliamentarians to:

• Turn global commitments into national leadership by integrating international health pledges such as the Abuja Declaration and the UN High-Level Meeting declarations on TB, HIV, and non-communicable diseases into national debates, hearings, and legislation

• Ensure sustainability through the Global Fund and co-financing by aligning national budgets with Global Fund grants, promoting transparency, and supporting the upcoming 8th Replenishment

• Close diagnostic gaps and integrate innovation by adopting WHO-recommended diagnostic tools, modernising procurement frameworks, and investing in integrated laboratory systems

• Promote multisectoral collaboration through dialogue between Health Committees and other parliamentary committees, including finance, education, justice, and social development

• Strengthen parliamentary engagement by using the powers of their committees to oversee progress, share best practices, and monitor accountability through regular peer exchanges

  
  

The plan also calls for a parliamentary inquiry into access to new innovations for HIV, malaria, and lung health, with a focus on TB vaccine readiness, and commits Health Committees to regular reporting and collaboration through networks such as the Global TB Caucus, COPEMA, and the GPP.