At the 2025 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), African leaders and innovators made a strong case for greater ownership of development and innovation, stressing that the continent must shape its future with or without foreign aid.
The message was delivered at a side event convened by eHealth Africa in partnership with Population Services International (PSI), the Population Council, and Reach Digital Health, under the theme: “African-led Innovation: Shaping Sustainable Futures With or Without Aid.”
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, said decades of donor-driven development created systems without true African ownership.
“Africans have always innovated. This is a new era—an era of designing our own future, where African ideas and creativity lead the way,” Bah declared.
Dr. Ola Brown, founder of HealthCap Africa, stressed that healthcare innovation in Africa benefits the world:
“When we invest in African healthcare innovation, we don’t just create a healthier continent—we create a healthier world.”
Michael Holscher, PSI Global President, said sustainability rests on community ownership, while Judith Bruce of the Population Council cautioned against ignoring women and youth in development agendas.
Jean Philbert Nsengimana, Chief Digital Health Advisor at the Africa CDC, urged innovators to replicate the success of M-PESA in health tech:
“If aid comes, good. If not, we must—and can—move forward regardless.”
From South Africa, Debbie Rogers, CEO of Reach Digital Health, said resource constraints have fueled digital health breakthroughs such as MomConnect, which has reached five million women, with 98% recommending it to others.
For eHealth Africa, the gathering underscored the power of African-led partnerships. Executive Director Atef Fawaz emphasized Africa’s potential as a top-20 emerging market in two decades, while Director of Partnerships Ota Akhigbe said visibility on global stages is shifting Africa from being “invited to the table” to leading conversations.
The evening closed on a cultural note with a Jollof rice tasting contest, where Minister Bah crowned Senegal the winner—blending Africa’s culinary pride with its vision for innovation sovereignty.
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