Africa Must Stop Waiting For God To Fix Failed Health Systems, Says Kukah

The Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, has charged African leaders, faith communities, and civil society to take ownership of the continent’s worsening health crisis, warning that continued reliance on foreign aid is no longer sustainable.

Kukah spoke in Nairobi at the ongoing African Faith and Health Leaders Consultation organised by Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH), the All-Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), and the Africa Christian Health Associations Platform (ACHAP).

He called for urgent action to strengthen health systems across the continent.

“We must hold the feet of our politicians to the fire. Africa cannot continue to blame the victim or hide under a theology of helplessness. God cannot be the default solution because our health systems have failed our people,” he said.

The consultation, which started on Tuesday November 25, gathered bishops, archbishops and pastors from 10 sub-Saharan African countries. It focused on equitable health financing, sustainable care for vulnerable communities, and improving advocacy frameworks.

Kukah vehemently condemned the African governments’ failure to honour the Abuja Declaration, where countries pledged 15 per cent of national budgets to health, highlighting the religious institutions’ poor access to data and analytical tools needed to hold leaders accountable.

He also recounted the everyday human toll of poor health systems, with many citizens struggling to pay hospital bills.

He said: “Our churches have a powerful moral voice, but we lack the tools for data and analysis; commitments on paper mean nothing if politicians are not held accountable. People are grabbed by poverty and desperation. My phone never stops ringing, someone’s father, someone’s child, begging for help. This is not how a society should function.”

The bishop, however, called on Africans to embrace stronger resource mobilization, urging for a rethink on spending patterns.

He said, “It is more expensive to die in Africa than to live. There are people with enormous wealth; are we engaging them? Are they investing in the health of our people? We cannot wait until the taps run dry in Europe and America.”

Aside from health challenges, Kukah further reflected on the continent’s political landscape, stressing the need for constructive civic engagement. He also encouraged more civic actors to participate in shaping governance and public policy.