The Director General of the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC), Dr Ntuli Kapologwe, has urged African nations to significantly increase investment in primary healthcare, health workers, technology and sustainable financing. Speaking in Arusha during the organisation's second meeting, he said such investment is needed to build stronger health systems capable of delivering quality and equitable services to all citizens, according to Tanzania's Daily News.

Allergy and immunology specialists in Africa are urging that allergic diseases be recognized as a public health priority, highlighting that millions suffer from underdiagnosed and poorly managed conditions. This call to action coincides with World Allergy Week 2026, as the African Alliance for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (AFRICALLI) emphasizes the need for improved care and recognition of these health issues across the continent.

Tanzanian Prime Minister Dr. Mwigulu Nchemba has called on Africa to build its own capacity to finance, manage and produce essential health services rather than relying long-term on foreign aid and external systems. Speaking on September 9, 2026, on behalf of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, he opened the Second International Primary Healthcare Conference in Arusha, which brought together more than 2,700 participants from 27 countries.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for enhanced newborn screening measures to improve the care of birth defects. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that every child deserves the chance for a healthy future, and early identification of congenital conditions is crucial to achieving this goal.

Yemi Ajao, chief executive officer of OneBarrow International Limited, has called on Nigeria's federal government and healthcare stakeholders to move beyond policy documents and implement coordinated action at the point of care in order to achieve universal health coverage. According to a statement signed by the company's communication officer, Maryam Aminu, in Abuja, Ajao said turning health policies into practical delivery is essential for advancing health equity across the country.

Gynaecologists have called on West African governments to invest in family planning, arguing that high fertility rates and rapid population growth are contributing to insecurity and extremism across the region. According to the report by Punch, the specialists believe that better access to family planning services could help address the underlying pressures fuelling instability, and they urged authorities to prioritise funding for such programmes as part of broader efforts to tackle regional security challenges.