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AU Appoints Ghana’s Grace Ayensu-Danquah for Top Health Reform Secretariat Role

• By EDMOND GYEBI
• April 22, 2026
• 0

The Deputy Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Essikado-Ketan, Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah has been appointed to the Secretariat of the African High-Level Ministerial Committee (AHLMC), a key African Union body driving reforms in global health governance.

Her appointment places Ghana at the forefront of efforts to reshape global health systems to better serve African countries and their populations.

The AHLMC, a flagship initiative of the African Union, is mandated to strengthen Africa’s voice in global health decision-making and advocate a more equitable and responsive international health architecture.

Dr. Ayensu-Danquah’s appointment was confirmed in a letter dated April 13, 2026, signed by the Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Jean Kaseya. The decision follows approval by the AU Assembly at its 39th Ordinary Session held in February 2026.

The committee was established to consolidate Africa’s negotiating power and promote a coherent, fair, and effective global health system. Within this framework, the Secretariat led by the Africa CDC and supported by member states including Ghana and South Africa, provides strategic, technical and operational support to drive reforms.

As a Secretariat member, Dr. Ayensu-Danquah is expected to contribute to critical thematic areas such as health governance reform, sustainable financing, equitable access to healthcare, resilient health systems, and strengthened data accountability.

As a board-certified general surgeon and seasoned public health policy expert, Dr. Ayensu-Danquah brings extensive experience in trauma, burns, and reconstructive surgery, alongside a strong track record in health systems leadership.

Her appointment is widely seen as a boost to Ghana’s standing in continental health governance and aligns with the broader health policy direction of President John Dramani Mahama.

The Government of Ghana under President John Dramani Mahama has prioritised health sector reforms, including improved public health financing, restoration of confidence in the National Health Insurance Scheme, and expanded access to primary healthcare, particularly in underserved communities.

A key pillar of this agenda is the recently launched Free Primary Healthcare policy, aimed at accelerating Ghana’s progress toward Universal Health Coverage by 2030. Additionally, the government has introduced the Ghana Medical Health Trust to mobilise sustainable funding for critical healthcare delivery, infrastructure, and specialist services.

These initiatives form part of a broader strategy to strengthen health sovereignty, promote local pharmaceutical manufacturing, enhance disease surveillance, and improve accountability in health data systems.

Director General of the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr Jean Kaseya, in his communication, expressed confidence that Dr. Ayensu-Danquah’s leadership and expertise would “greatly enrich the work of the AHLMC Secretariat” and contribute meaningfully to global health reforms.

Dr. Ayensu-Danquah holds medical degrees from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Southern California, as well as a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. She is licensed to practise medicine in California, Michigan, and Maryland in the United States.

In Ghana, she operates a private surgical facility in Accra and serves as an Adjunct Professor of Surgery at the University of Utah’s Center for Global Surgery.

She has also served on the Technical Advisory Committee on the Safety of Vaccines and Biological Products at the Food and Drugs Authority and has been involved with Days for Girls International Ghana.

Beyond her clinical and academic work, she leads the Healing Hands Organisation, a non-governmental initiative providing free surgical care to underserved communities and supporting rural health facilities with essential medical equipment.

Dr. Ayensu-Danquah is a Fellow of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons.

Her appointment is expected to not only strengthen Africa’s influence in global health governance but also reinforce Ghana’s role as a key player in shaping the continent’s health future.


Source: Edmond Gyebi