A country's economic and social development is dependent on the good health of its population. It is in this spirit that the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, which entered into force in January 1976, recognizes, in Article 12, that everyone has the right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, and enjoins States to ensure the full exercise of this right by taking the necessary measures to guarantee it. The objective of most sub-Saharan countries to become emerging countries by 2030 requires, first and foremost, improving the health of their populations to ensure their participation in the socioeconomic development of our countries. Achieving this ambition requires the achievement of several specific objectives, namely:promote and protect the health of individuals throughout the country; guarantee access to quality health services and care for all populations; and strengthen national capacities for health system management (national health policy).

According to the WHO, "a health system includes all activities [people and actions] whose primary goal is to promote, restore, or maintain health." According to André Levy, "it is the set of resources (organizational, human, structural, and financial) intended to achieve the objectives of a health policy. It constitutes a subsystem of the general economic system (...)." Thus, a health system requires the existence of strategic frameworks and regulations; effective oversight; and particular attention to both system design and transparency in their management.

Indeed, health represents an investment sector and, as such, obeys the rules of rational resource use. As a whole, the population must have equitable access to quality healthcare, so that each individual or community benefits according to their respective needs. However, it must be said that, like many other countries south of the Sahara, access to basic social services remains a major challenge. This is due to poverty, lack of resources, inadequate infrastructure, illiteracy, the failure of reception and information services, medical deserts, and the high cost of medicines and treatments. Deterioration of health services, limited household financial means, dilapidated infrastructure, lack of equipment and personnel, not to mention corruption, all of which explain the critical health situation on the continent. Also, health inequalities from one country to another and within the same country have always been a source of concern for health providers and administrators. The health situation in most sub-Saharan African countries continues to be a cause for concern. Infant and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world, and life expectancy is among the lowest. And the emergence of Covid-19 has not helped matters.

From Kinshasa to Brazzaville, via Bangui, Yaoundé, Libreville, Cotonou, and Ouagadougou, it seems impossible not to associate Africa with health chaos. All these factors have numerous consequences for the health of populations, exacerbated by the persistence of several pandemics: HIV/AIDS, Ebola, COVID-19, malaria, tuberculosis, measles, Mpox, and so on. Thus, with some five years to go before the 2030 deadline, our countries find themselves more than ever on the cusp of a decisive turning point. The time has come for Results-Based Management (RBM); goodbye to navigating by sight.

Therefore, there is reason for hope. Health emergence is far from easy. In short, health is worth a treasure. To all of you, leaders and populations, I would especially like to wish you to maintain the desire that drives you to take care of yourselves. Finally, on behalf of my entire team, I extend my best wishes for good health to each and every reader. May this second half of the year bring hope and opportunities to each and every one of you. But, above all, good health throughout the year and take care of yourselves and your loved ones.