NAIROBI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Sub-Saharan African countries should explore innovative health financing models to enhance their response to the growing disease burden on the continent, suggested African executives at a virtual forum Wednesday.

The forum, convened by Africa Health Business, a Pan-African healthcare consultancy, and Novartis, a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company, was held under the theme "Health as an investment: Sustainable resourcing for comprehensive, outcome-based delivery of quality healthcare services."

Senior policymakers, industry executives, investors, researchers, and campaigners attending the event agreed that addressing the financing gap is crucial to improving health outcomes across Africa.

Amit Thakker, executive chairman of Africa Health Business, based in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, said that adequate financing for the health sector will lead to improved life expectancy, economic growth, and social cohesion across the continent.

Thakker observed that every U.S. dollar invested in health could generate an additional 35 dollars for African economies while expanding access to essential services such as childhood immunization, safe motherhood, and early diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases.

"Investing in health will create wealth for African nations. Their gross domestic product will expand because of increased lifespan and productivity of the workforce," Thakker said.

Micheal Njapau, director-general of the National Health Insurance Management Authority of Zambia, observed that with declining external funding for Africa's healthcare systems, governments should leverage domestic resources and enhance the accountability and governance of state-run health insurance schemes.

According to Njapau, fiscal and regulatory incentives are key to encouraging the adoption of public medical insurance schemes among low-income populations, who have been most affected by infectious diseases.

He called for stronger public-private partnerships to address the underfunding of Africa's health sector, which is grappling with shrinking fiscal space, recurrent outbreaks, conflicts, geopolitical uncertainties, and the effects of climate change.

Angela Gichaga, chief executive officer of Financing Alliance for Health, a Nairobi-based health financing lobby, said that policy harmonization, political goodwill, and fiscal reforms are essential to stimulate investment in Africa's health sector.

Gichaga urged governments and industry to invest in the social determinants of health, including education, clean drinking water, sanitation, and nutrition, which contribute to sustained economic growth, peace, and stability. Enditem

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