Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has been appointed to the Secretariat of the African Union’s High-Level Ministerial Committee (AHLMC), positioning her at the forefront of efforts to reshape global health architecture in Africa’s interest.
The appointment, confirmed in an April 13, 2026, letter from Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya, follows a decision by the AU Assembly during its 39th Ordinary Session in February 2026.
Dr. Ayensu-Danquah is also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Essikado-Ketan.
The AHLMC is a flagship AU initiative designed to strengthen Africa’s influence in global health decision-making, advocating for a more equitable, coherent, and effective global health system.
The Secretariat, led by the Africa CDC and supported by member states including Ghana and South Africa, provides strategic, technical, and operational backing to the committee.
As a Secretariat member, Dr. Ayensu-Danquah, a board-certified general surgeon, will contribute to key priorities such as health governance reform, sustainable financing, equitable healthcare access, resilient health systems and data and accountability
Dr. Ayensu-Danquah holds medical degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Southern California, as well as a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
She maintains active medical licenses in California, Michigan, and Maryland, 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 is a fellow of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons.
Through her non-governmental organisation, the Healing Hands Organisation, she provides free surgical and medical care to underserved communities and donates essential medical equipment to rural health facilities.
Her appointment aligns with President John Dramani Mahama’s broader health agenda, which emphasises health sovereignty through system strengthening, preventive care, and regional cooperation.
The President has recently launched a Free Primary Healthcare policy aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage by 2030, as well as the Ghana Medical Health Trust to mobilise sustainable funding for critical healthcare delivery, infrastructure, and specialist care.
Dr. Kaseya of the Africa CDC noted that Dr. Ayensu-Danquah’s experience and leadership “will greatly enrich the work of the AHLMC Secretariat” and help drive meaningful reform in global health systems.
