In the front row: Speaker Mutti (7th left) and Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Mrs Loveness Mayaka (6th left) pose for a photo with representatives of NEAPACOH during the official opening at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre.
Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia, Rt Hon Dr Nelly B.K. Mutti, SC, MP, FAPRA says sustainable and accountable health financing is key to attaining Universal Health Coverage in the African region
Dr Mutti noted that investment in health infrastructure, the workforce, innovation and emergency preparedness is more cost-effective than reactionary spending.
She added that strong and equitable health systems are also essential for national development and stability.
Dr Mutti said this when she officially opened the 17th Meeting of the Network of African Parliamentary Committees on Health (NEAPACOH), at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre, on Wednesday, 25th February, 2026.
Speaker Mutti said the attainment of UHC requires deliberate planning, strong governance and consistent domestic resource mobilisation to ensure that all citizens, including the most vulnerable, have access to quality health services without facing financial hardship.
Speaker Mutti thus urged Parliaments in the region to utilise their legislative authority, budget approval and oversight roles to ensure equitable allocation and efficient utilisation of health resources.
Speaking earlier, NEAPACOH Chairperson, Hon. Mokhothu Makhalanyane, said UHC is both a political and financing decision that requires deliberate domestic resource mobilisation.
He said robust budgetary frameworks, transparent procurement systems and accountability mechanisms will improve efficiency and strengthen governance in the health sector.
Hon Makhalanyane added that African Parliaments must strengthen oversight and demand transparency in the utilisation of health resources in order to curb corruption, which he said continues to divert medicines, inflate procurement costs and weaken service delivery.
He reiterated the need to prioritise primary health care, skilled birth attendance, reliable supply chains and sustained domestic co-financing for HIV and tuberculosis programmes if Africa is to safeguard the gains recorded in the health sector.
Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Mr Martin Chungong, in his remarks delivered through a video recording, urged legislators to champion increased domestic investment in health and ensure that budgetary decisions respond to the needs of vulnerable and marginalised populations.
Mr Chungong said predictable financing, a well-trained health workforce and strong primary health care systems are critical to the attainment of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals.
Executive Director of Partners in Population and Development, Professor Joseph Adelegan, disclosed that the financing gap for UHC remains wide amid declining donor support and growing fiscal pressures.
He called on Parliamentarians to enact policies that create an enabling environment for innovative financing mechanisms to help expand health coverage and reduce inequalities.
Professor Adelegan also noted that integrating sexual and reproductive health services into national UHC strategies will improve health outcomes, reduce maternal and child mortality and as a result achieve broader developmental goals.
Meanwhile, Executive Director of the African Institute for Development Policy, Dr Eliya Zulu, reiterated that Africa’s greatest challenge is implementation rather than the absence of policy frameworks.
Dr Zulu urged governments to present investment in health as a key driver of economic development in order to secure increased domestic financing.
Dr Zulu also urged Parliaments to strengthen their oversight function to systematically track resource utilisation, close leakages in procurement systems and ensure that allocated funds translate into tangible health services.
And Clerk of the National Assembly of Zambia, Ms Loveness Mayaka, said Zambia’s hosting of the NEAPACOH meeting demonstrates the country’s commitment to strengthening parliamentary collaboration, promoting evidence-based decision-making and advancing accountability and sustainable health financing across Africa.
The Network of African Parliamentary Committees on Health (NEAPACOH) is a continental platform that brings together health committee members from over 27 African countries to collaborate on strengthening health governance, financing and oversight to accelerate Universal Health Coverage (UHC) across Africa. The Forum is being hosted by the National Assembly of Zambia from 25 to 27 February 2026 in Lusaka.
Speaker Mutti delivering her opening remarks during the Network of African Parliamentary Committees on Health (NEAPACOH) Forum.
NEAPACOH Chairperson, Hon. Mokhothu Makhalanyane speaking during the Forum.
Executive Director of Partners in Population and Development, Professor Joseph Adelegan delivers his remarks.
Executive Director of the African Institute for Development Policy, Dr Eliya Zulu advocates for investment in health financing
The Acting Clerk of the National Assembly of Zambia, Ms Loveness Mayaka, during the official opening of the Forum
Delegates attending the NEOPACOH Forum
A. GENERAL RULES
1. Access and Security
The Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia, Rt Hon Dr Nelly B.K.
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