By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Djibouti, 12 December 2025 — President Ismail Omar Guelleh has urged African countries to develop their own health research capacity and seek local solutions saying no continent can build a strong healthcare system solely on foreign aid.
“No nation, no continent can build a strong health system if it depends solely on knowledge and solutions produced elsewhere,” Guelleh told participants during the opening of the 2nd International Medical Congress in Djibouti City on Thursday.
“The 21st century must be one where Africa produces its own science, develops its own protocols, documents its own pathologies, and designs its answers according to its own reality,” he added.
Guelleh highlighted Djibouti’s strategic location as a health crossroads, exposing the country to infectious and chronic tropical diseases, as well as emerging and imported illnesses. He called for strengthening research to anticipate risks, adapt prevention strategies, and train local experts.
Health Minister Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh underscored the importance of resilience and innovation in the health system.
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“The themes of this congress focus on the capacity of our system to withstand crises, to adapt, and to transform,” he said, citing experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Innovation is not only about technology; it is also about how we organize our structures, train our staff, and engage our communities.”
Abdilleh detailed progress in the digitalization of medical data and pharmaceutical supply chains through M-SUPPLY, and said Djibouti’s university hospitals have begun digitizing patient records.
He also highlighted the promotion of local medical research, noting that Djiboutian health professionals presented two scientific studies during the first Medical Scientific Day in January 2025
Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed and National Assembly President Mohamed Dileita attended the congress, alongside government officials, foreign medical experts, and representatives from the National Union of Djibouti Women.
