Prioritising African-led solutions for global health at the G20 Summit

As global leaders gather ahead of the G20 Summit in South Africa, discussions centre on fortifying global health systems with an urgent focus on pandemic preparedness, universal health coverage, and equitable access to healthcare. 

Experts are calling for African-led solutions, combined with increased investments and enhanced manufacturing capabilities, to ensure a resilient health infrastructure on the continent.

South Africa, serving as the 2025 G20 president, is hosting working group meetings that bring together representatives of United Nations member states, invited countries, and various international agencies and organisations. 

These meetings aim to forge collaborative strategies that address the complex health challenges of the 21st century.

Robyn Hayes-Badenhorst of Supporting Health Initiatives (SHI), a division of Wits Health Consortium, said as the G20 meets in South Africa under the theme ‘Strengthening Global Health Systems’, SHI emphasises that preparedness must rest on strong continental foundations with African-led solutions at the centre of global health resilience.

Hayes-Badenhorst said resilience in health is more than responding to emergencies; it is about building systems strong enough to withstand shocks, whether from pandemics, climate crises, or shifts in global funding.

“With international financing slowing and South Africa among the hardest hit, Africa must invest in its own regulatory capacity, manufacturing base, and harmonised systems to protect its people,” she said.

A truly resilient system can respond to outbreaks quickly, maintain care for chronic conditions, and adapt to new health threats without collapsing essential services, said Hayes-Badenhorst.

Earlier this month, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the US will pull $500 million from Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine development. The mRNA technology has been credited with helping to end the Covid pandemic, and it is quicker and simpler to produce than traditional vaccines.

According to Wits University, RFK’s decision and scepticism have an impact on South Africa’s mRNA vaccine development, particularly for deadly diseases like TB and HIV/Aids, and some cancers.

Professor Patrick Arbuthnot, director at the Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit (AGTRU), said during the Covid-19 pandemic, the unit rapidly responded to build mRNA vaccine technology in South Africa.

“Our previous and successful work on using formulated mRNA to disable the Hepatitis B virus provided the foundation for disseminating the technology to low- and middle-income countries,” he said.

Arbuthnot said mRNA can develop effective, safe, and patient-centric vaccine candidates that are suitable for vulnerable people, including children, the elderly, and those living in rural settings.

He said what is significant is that the vaccines can be developed rapidly and quickly adapted to changes that the pathogen may evolve.

“Although funding has been slashed for mRNA research and development in the US, there is robust evidence that this technology is effective. It is thus essential that we continue to work on the technology and build self-sustaining capacity,” he said.

Arbuthnot said getting the whole of Africa on board is imperative to building vaccine manufacturing capabilities on the continent.

“We can thus aim to be more prepared for future pandemics, build resilience, and provide a safer global environment,” he said.

Professor Yahya Choonara, director and principal researcher at the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP), said low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), such as South Africa, need to develop new drug delivery systems as a much-needed, cost-effective, and more biologically precise strategy amid global funding cuts and pressured health services.

Choonara explained that WADDP has a strong focus on tackling infectious diseases, in particular the design of nanomedicine for tuberculosis, HIV/Aids, and malaria. It also innovates at the interface of regenerative medicine using functional biomaterials.

“We provide the largest training and research platform in Africa,” he said.

Choonara said LMICs often have tight healthcare budgets, and more efficient medicines can help reduce costs, making healthcare more affordable for patients who need it.

“Contextually designed drug delivery systems (medicines) can improve treatment outcomes, ensuring patients get the right dose at the right time at the right site in the body, which is crucial for infectious diseases like HIV/Aids, TB, and malaria that are highly prevalent in LMICs,” he said.

He said patient-centric medicines are easier to use and can facilitate adherence to complex treatment plans, which is key for managing chronic conditions.

According to Choonara, more investment and manufacturing capabilities are needed to advance work into clinical trials and ultimately into the hands of patients.

“Our mission is to undertake translational pharmaceutical research and generate intellectual property as a solution for difficult-to-solve medical challenges. This means that if we can transfer our technology to people who can industrialise our work, then we can scale and implement care and treatment,” said Choonara.

He said to be self-sustaining, contextually relevant, and globally applicable, questions need to be continuously answered.

“In addition to creating these novel drug delivery systems, we must empower and train local scientists to innovate ‘local’ solutions for our specific context. What’s so exciting is that at the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP), our skills, technology, and equipment are world-class and on par with those found in developed countries,” said Choonara.

At the opening of the G20 Health Working Group in KwaZulu-Natal in March, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said it must be acknowledged that spending on health is not a cost but an investment.

The minister said innovative financing mechanisms that prioritise health are needed.

“The time for action is now. We must move beyond dialogue and commit to concrete steps. We must prioritise health financing, address inequalities, and work together to build resilient health systems,” said Motsoaledi.

karen.singh@inl.co.za