Africans Rising, a Pan-African movement of people and organizations working for justice, peace and dignity for all Africans across the globe, has asked leaders on the continent to invest in the health and wellness of the people.

“We are demanding that the health and wellness of African people and communities are a priority for our own local and central governments,” the group advocated.

A statement issued and jointly signed by Ann Njagi, Communications Consultant, and Aleesa Mann, Communications Coordinator of Africans Rising, a copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi, said the leadership ought to seek the holistic wellbeing of the people.

They should create innovative solutions and ensure that the health systems, including; hospitals and health centres worked efficiently, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The continent must work together for our own survival in such an unprecedented time of global crisis.

“This demand is also about ensuring that we can build the capacities of African activists and communities to respond to issues of violence, oppression and injustice,” the statement emphasized.

According to the Pan-Africanists, the people having access to healthy food and good quality educational opportunities should also be prioritized.

The statement, coinciding with the 2021 commemoration of the ‘Africa Day’, said the Pan-African movement was committed to the cause of the continent.

“Africans Rising wants to showcase the ways in which Africans are empowering their communities, educating one another and creating innovative solutions to the pandemic.”

The statement said the group had decided to mark the African Liberation Day, also known as Africa Day, and celebrated on May 25 each year, on the theme, “Pan-Africanism in the 21st Century: Our Rights, Our Health, Our Future”.

It said this mobilization was a continuation of ‘#Rise4OurLives’ campaign, which was started in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The organization, the statement said, was dedicated to providing a space for progressive African civil society leaders and groups engaged in various civic struggles to convene, connect, collaborate, share knowledge and build solidarity among people and across issues.

The African Liberation Day (Africa Day) is an annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organization of African Unity on May 25, 1963.

It is recognized to promote unity and solidarity among African people and states.

It is also the anniversary of the launch of Africans Rising, the statement noted, adding that in the past, the movement had used the Day to recognize issues of illicit financial flows, human trafficking, slavery and health.

“Given the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, this mobilization is an important time to call on governments, institutions and businesses to put lives before personal interests and profits during this global health crisis.”

According to the statement, the Pan-Africanists would mark the event tackling some topics, including; ‘Pan-Africanism in the 21st Century: the Past, the Present and the Future’, ‘African Liberation Day: Building Healthy Communities and the Rise for Our Lives’, ‘Invisible Giants - a Message of Hope’, and ‘New Scramble for Africa’.