The Member of Parliament for Suhum Constituency in the Eastern Region, Frank Asiedu Bekoe, popularly known as Protozoa, has joined parliamentary leaders from across the continent in Lusaka, Zambia, for a high-level meeting of the Network of African Parliamentary Committees on Health (NEAPACOH), aimed at strengthening Africa’s health systems through legislative action, sustainable financing, and effective oversight.

The three-day conference, the 17th meeting of NEAPACOH, is being held from February 25 to 27, 2026, at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, Zambia.

It is themed: “Re-positioning the Role of Parliamentarians for Enhancing Health Systems for Emergency Response, Equity, Resilience and Sustainability in the Context of Attaining Universal Health Coverage.”

Frank Asiedu Bekoe is attending the conference in his dual capacity as the Member of Parliament for Suhum and a member of Ghana’s Parliamentary Select Committee on Budget.

His participation reflects the growing involvement in continental policy discussions that link public finance, legislation, and health sector development, especially as African countries continue to confront post-pandemic recovery challenges, emergency preparedness gaps, and long-standing inequalities in access to healthcare.

As part of the programme, Protozoa is expected to deliver a keynote address on the role of Finance and Budget Committee members within the NEAPACOH framework.

His presentation will focus on critical issues such as resource mobilisation for health, effective parliamentary oversight of health budgets, accountability in public spending, and the need for sustainable financing models to build resilient and responsive health systems across Africa.

The address is expected to highlight how national parliaments, through budgetary control and legislative authority, can directly influence the success of universal health coverage policies.

The meeting brings together members of parliamentary health, finance, and budget committees from across the continent, alongside development partners and policy institutions, to align legislative priorities with Africa’s broader health and development goals.

Discussions are centred on strengthening emergency response systems, promoting equity in healthcare delivery, building resilient health infrastructure, and ensuring long-term sustainability in health financing.

The Ghanaian delegation to the Lusaka meeting is drawn from the 9th Parliament of Ghana and is led by the Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei, reflecting a coordinated national parliamentary effort to engage in continental policy platforms on health governance and financing.

Protozoa’s participation builds on the long-standing role in African parliamentary diplomacy and regional cooperation, particularly in policy areas that cut across health, development, and public finance. It also places the Suhum MP at the centre of continental conversations on how legislators can move beyond lawmaking into active leadership roles in shaping health systems that are equitable, resilient, and capable of responding to emergencies.

 

With NEAPACOH focusing on universal health coverage as a strategic objective, the Lusaka meeting is expected to produce policy directions and parliamentary commitments that will influence national health financing strategies across Africa.