During the G20 Health Ministerial Meeting held in the northern Limpopo province this week, the high-ranking official underscored that the financial strains in the health sector demonstrate that health is an investment in global stability and economic prosperity.

The agenda of the meeting, which concludes this Friday, included specific sessions on tuberculosis, financing for Universal Health Coverage, and global partnerships, particularly the 8th Replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

Phaahla told international delegates, “The session on health financing is perhaps the most crucial.

It allows us to explore sustainable models and examine how global economic forces impact national health budgets.”

The meeting aims to synthesize the work of South Africa’s G20 Presidency on health, beginning with equitable access to scientific advances such as antiretroviral Lenacapavir. “This reflects our commitment to equity in access to medical innovations,” he emphasized.

The meeting will conclude with the Joint Finance and Health Ministers’ Meeting (JFHMM), described by the deputy minister as “a powerful signal that fiscal policy and health outcomes are inextricably linked.”

Finally, Phaahla urged participants to embody mutual respect and shared objectives, stressing that solutions require “bold thinking, sustained effort, and unwavering solidarity” in the face of global health challenges.

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