African Faith and Health Leaders Unite to Drive Locally-Led Action for Stronger Health Systems
Nairobi, Kenya — 27 November 2025
Christian faith and health leaders from 10 African countries issued a joint statement today calling for greater national investment and global solidarity to sustain health services and ensure equitable access to care. (https://www.ccih.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Unity-Statement-2025-African-Faith-Health-Leaders.pdf)
Meeting at the African Faith & Health Leaders Consultation, co-hosted by Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH), the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), and the Africa Christian Health Associations Platform (ACHAP), participants urged governments and international partners to work hand-in-hand with faith-based health providers that serve millions across Africa.
“Significant reductions in global health funding are prompting us to revisit our roots,” said Doug Fountain, Executive Director of CCIH. “Health is essential to the mission of the Church, and we estimate there are 14,000 Christian health facilities in Africa based on available data, and probably an equivalent number of community-based health programs. National governments and private sources must step up, making this the optimal moment to leverage faith-based assets.”
“Faith leaders have tremendous influence in their communities, especially with respect to personal issues such as health,” said Rev. Dr. Lesmore Gibson Ezekiel, Director of Peace, Ecclesial Leadership, Development, Interfaith and Theology, All Africa Conference of Churches. “They care deeply for the well-being of their congregations and are important advocates for policies that advance and protect health.”
“In the face of funding reductions, we are seeing new partnerships and innovation among Christian health actors,” added Nkatha Njeru, CEO of ACHAP. “Now is the time to strengthen collaboration with national and local governments.”
Faith-based networks provide a large share of Africa’s health services, often in remote and underserved communities. The leaders’ statement emphasizes that empowering local systems and sustaining faith-government collaboration are crucial to health in Africa.
Access the Full Media Kit (https://www.ccih.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Media-Kit-EN-FR-African-Faith-Health-Leaders-Consultation.pdf)
Access the full recording: https://youtu.be/E9Be8NIbxTE?t=3
Here are the photos from our closing today. Thankful for each of you! https://photos.app.goo.gl/qNvZ2qdjtqcDDmwy7
The Executive President of the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC), Rev. Dr. Teke John Ekema and the Director of CBC Health Services, Mr. Ngum Samuel attended the African Faith and Health Leaders Consultation in Nairobi, Kenya from November 25-27, 2025. The consultation is a platform to strengthen collaboration and raise health voices in health policy in Africa.
