The year 2020 has confirmed to the whole world that one of the most important and toughest portfolios to hold in a government is that of a Minister of Health.

In Africa, our health ministers have been at the forefront of the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic and with support from the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, there's hope of Africans rising from this pandemic, scathed but stronger.

Primary among the roles of a health minister are overseeing the formulation of health policies, providing strategic direction of health delivery services, allocating resources and evaluating the health status of their countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic has added one more fundamental function to the list. Today, our health ministers have become warlords, assigned to lead various taskforces to fight the coronavirus pandemic in their respective countries.

In all, the 54 African countries, health ministries are crucial members of cabinet. There, they convey health issues of the people to president and give status updates of health policies and projects.

In the face of this pandemic, a research into the professional and academic backgrounds of Africa's Health Ministers has been produced.

It was discovered that only 36 out of 54 representing 67% of African health ministers have an educational background in health.

The rest were appointed because of their political records and association with the powers that be.

It is interesting to note that in the Republic of Seychelles for instance, the President doubles as the health minister.

Another factor of keen interest is the fact that, as it stands, only 14 of Africa’s health ministers are female.
Nobody knows when COVID-19 will die down or even if it will at all. While the world gunners its strengths to fight this war, how ready is Africa? How capable are Africa's Health Ministers?

To read more about health ministers in Africa, click here for their profiles: Health Ministers profile

Below is the list of 2020 54 Health Ministers in Africa (27/04/20)

Abdellatif Mekki (Dr.) - Minister of Health, Tunisia

Abderrahmane Benbouzid (Dr.) - Minister of Health, Population and Hospital Reform, Algeria

Abdoulaye Sarr - Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Senegal

Ahmad Ahmad (Dr.) – Minister of Health, Madagascar

Ahmadou Lamin Samateh (Dr.) - Minister of Health, The Gambia

Akram Ali Eltom (Dr.) - Ministry of Health, Sudan

Alpha Tejan Wurie (Prof.) - Minister of Health and Sanitation, Sierra Leone

Amna Nurhusein - Minister of Health, Eritrea

Arlindo Nascimento do Rosário (Dr.) - Minister of Health and Social Security, Cape Verde

Armindo Tiago (Prof. Dr.) - Minister of Health, Mozambique

Chitalu Chilufya (Dr.) - Minister of Health, Zambia

Daniel Ngamije (Dr.) - Minister of Health, Rwanda

Djama Elmi Okieh (Dr.) - Minister of Health, Djibouti

Edgar Neves (Dr.) - Minister of Health, Sao Tome and Principe

Ehmid Bin Omar - Minister of Health, Libya

Elizabeth Acuei Yor - Minister of Health, South Sudan

Eugène Aouélé Aka (Dr.) - Minister of Health & Public Hygiene, Cote D'Ivoire

Fawziya Abikar (Dr.) - Minister of Health & Social Care, Somalia

Eteni Longondo (Dr.) - Minister of Public Health, DR Congo

Hala Zayed (Dr.) - Minister of Health and Population, Egypt

Igance Benjamin Hounkpatin (Dr.) - Minister of Health, Benin

Illiassou Mainassara (Dr.) - Minister of Public Health, Niger

Jacqueline Lydia Mikolo - Minister of Health and Population, Congo

Jappie Mhango - Minister of Health and Population, Malawi

Danny Faure - Minister of Health, Seychelles

Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal (Dr.) - Minister of Health and Wellness, Mauritius

Kalumbi Shangula (Dr.) - Minister of Health and Social Services, Namibia

Khalid Ait Taleb (Dr.) - Minister of Health, Morocco

Kwaku Agyemang-Manu - Minister of Health, Ghana

Lemogang Kwape (Dr.) - Minister of Health and Wellness, Botswana

Léonie Claudine Sorgho/Lougue (Dr.) - Minister of Health, Burkina Faso

Lia Tadesse Gebremedhin (Dr.) - Minister of Health, Ethiopia

Lizzie Nkosi - Minister of Health, Eswatini

Loub Yakouti Zaidou - Minister of Health, Comoros

Mahamoud Youssouf Khayal - Minister of Public Health, Chad

Manaouda Malachie (Dr.) - Minister of Public Health, Cameroon

Maria Inácia Có Sanhá - Minister of Public Health, Family and Social Cohesion, Guinea Bissau

Max Limoukou (Dr.) - Minister of Health, Gabon

Michel Sidibe - Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Mali

Mohamed Nedhirou Ould Hamed (Dr.) - Minister of Health, Mauritania

Moustafa Mijiyawa (Dr.) - Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, Togo

Mutahi Kagwe - Cabinet Secretary for Health, Kenya

Nkaku Kabi - Minister of Health, Lesotho

Obadiah Moyo (Dr.) - Minister of Health and Child Care, Zimbabwe

Osagie Ehanire (Dr.) - Minister Health, Nigeria

Pierre Somse (Dr.) – Minister of Health, Central African Republic

Remy Lamah (Dr. Col.) - Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, Guinea

Ruth Jane Aceng (Dr.) - Minister of Health, Uganda

Salomon Nguema Owono - Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Equatorial Guinea
Silvia Lutucuta (Dr.) - Minister of Health, Angola

Thadee Ndikumana (Dr.) - Minister of Public Health and Fight against HIV &AIDS, Burundi

Ummy Mwalimu - Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Seniors and Children, Tanzania

Wilhelmina Jallah (Dr.) - Minister of Health, Liberia

Zweli Mkhize (Dr.) - Minister of Health, South Africa

Research and article by Prince Akpah, MD of Avance Media