“A framework shift is needed to deliver better health outcomes through people-centred health systems, with a focus on prevention, primary care and public health” is a key message in a new report by the Lancet Commission on the Future of Health in Sub-Saharan Africa. Action towards this will contribute to the vision of the Commission that by 2030, Africans should have the same opportunities for long and healthy lives that new technologies, well-functioning health systems, and good governance offer people living on other continents.