President John Dramani Mahama has identified maternal and child health as the first critical test of the proposed global reset of the international health architecture.
He said health was chosen as the first battleground for the Accra Reset because of its direct impact on human life, with maternal and child health serving as an immediate measure of whether the new financial and governance arrangements can deliver tangible results.
President Mahama made the remarks at a high-level side event on the Accra Reset: Global Reset Dialogue in New York on Monday, September 21, 2026, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
According to him, nearly seven out of ten maternal deaths globally occur in Sub-Saharan Africa, while Ghana’s maternal mortality situation remains three times above the recommended Sustainable Development Goal target.
“This is unacceptable,” the President said.
He said the Accra Reset would therefore focus on building systems capable of delivering measurable improvements in the lives of mothers and children.
President Mahama highlighted the Mother Africa initiative, championed by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, as well as the Business United for Mothers, Babies and Youth (BUMBY) campaign.
He said the initiatives bring together public policy and corporate responsibility in an effort to protect the lives of mothers and children.
“These initiatives will stress-test our new financial and governance architecture in real-time, delivering measurable results where they matter most,” he said.
The President said the focus on health was also informed by the need to develop stronger and more resilient health systems in developing countries.
He argued that greater self-reliance in the Global South should not be viewed as isolationism, but rather as a move towards pragmatic interdependence and equal partnerships.
“Stronger, self-reliant Southern partners are not a threat to the Global North,” President Mahama said.
He maintained that resilient health systems in Africa and Asia would contribute to global health security.
President Mahama also acknowledged the support of World Health Organisation Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for global health reform.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/ Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭
