At the inaugural Africa Health Summit in Kampala, Living Goods joined Continental Health Partners and more than 1,000 delegates united by a shared ambition: to reclaim Africa’s health future. Under the theme “Reclaiming Africa’s Health Future,” ministers, global health leaders, researchers, innovators, and implementers gathered to confront a central question, how can the continent build stronger, more resilient health systems powered by African leadership and local solutions?

One message resonated throughout the Summit: health sovereignty begins at the community level. Uganda’s Ministry of Health reaffirmed that well-trained and fully supported Community Health Workers (CHWs) remain “the backbone of our health system.” Leaders from across the region echoed this call, urging countries to shift from reliance on external systems toward sustained investment in home-grown capacity.

“As we pursue Africa’s health sovereignty, our greatest investment must be in the people who serve closest to the community. Uganda is committing to training one million additional health workers across all levels, beginning at the community,” said Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, Uganda’s Minister of Health. She emphasized the importance of equipping CHWs with skills, digital tools, and continuous training to ensure they remain the most reliable point of care for families.

For Living Goods, the Summit reaffirmed the strength of our approach. We continue to support CHWs and Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) through practical training, digital tools, data-driven supervision, and reliable systems that enable them to deliver timely, effective care directly to households including those in hard-to-reach communities.

In a country where 76% of the population lives in rural areas, access to basic healthcare remains a profound challenge. Through collaboration with the Ministry of Health and partners, Living Goods works to bridge this gap by empowering communities to deliver care one doorstep at a time, strengthening the foundation of Uganda’s health system from the ground up.

Engaging at the Summit provided an opportunity to connect with policymakers and partners, showcase the impact of strong community health systems, and align our work with the continent’s broader vision for long-term health sovereignty.

This commitment to frontline health workers was further highlighted through the Summit’s Heroes in Health Awards (HIHA), where Living Goods had the honour of presenting the Community Health Extension Worker of the Year award to Jennifer Faith Nabwana. Her recognition reflects the vital role CHEWs play across Uganda and demonstrates how meaningful support enables frontline workers to transform health outcomes for the communities they serve.

As Africa charts its path toward health sovereignty, the message is clear: resilient systems are built on empowered people and the future of health begins in the hands of those closest to the community.