By Milcah Tanimu
Former presidential candidate and economist, Kingsley Moghalu, has called on African governments to prioritize healthcare funding from domestic resources, rather than depending on foreign aid. He emphasized that relying on external assistance for healthcare interventions is an unsustainable strategy for the continent.
Moghalu’s comments followed the recent withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organisation under former President Donald Trump, which he termed a “wake-up call” for African nations to take charge of their healthcare systems.
He argued that funding healthcare from internal resources should be a key priority for African countries. “Reliance on foreign aid for healthcare interventions is not wisdom,” Moghalu stated in his remarks on X.
The economist also criticized African governments for misplaced priorities, highlighting that the foreign aid received by many countries is far less than the resources wasted on political luxuries and corruption. Despite this, he acknowledged that some African nations have shown better fiscal responsibility.
Moghalu called for urgent action from African leaders to ensure that healthcare funding is treated as a critical national priority for sustainable development.