The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is set to initiate a major effort to strengthen and harmonise health data governance across the continent. This involves establishing unified policies, procedures, and practices to ensure that healthcare data is responsibly managed, protected, and used throughout its lifecycle.
This commitment was formalised during the 2025 Africa Health ExCon held in Cairo, Egypt, at a roundtable co-hosted by Africa CDC, AUDA-NEPAD, and Transform Health. The roundtable focused on the theme “Strengthening Health Data Governance in Africa in the Artificial Intelligence Era.” Africa CDC announced its plan to lead the development of a Continental Health Data Governance Framework, which will be submitted for endorsement by AU Member States at the AU Summit in February 2026.
The Framework will draw from the African Union’s Data Policy Framework and build on existing country-level best practices, while incorporating globally recognised standards such as the Health Data Governance Principles. The approach emphasises ethical, reliable, and coordinated data governance that aligns with equity and rights-based principles.
Africa CDC has also committed to offering technical assistance and guidance to Member States. This support will help countries develop or enhance national legislation and regulation on health data governance. The move marks a significant step in Africa’s broader digital and health transformation agenda by treating health data as a strategic asset to inform policy, predict disease trends, and support public health outcomes while safeguarding citizens’ rights.
The harmonised Framework aims to foster knowledge exchange, encourage consistency in legal provisions, and support cross-border data sharing. It will also enhance innovation, trust, and legal coherence across African countries.
This initiative builds on several existing African Union strategies and instruments, including the Malabo Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection (2014), the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa (2020–2030), the AU Data Policy Framework (2022), and the AU Continental AI Strategy (2024–2030). It aligns with ongoing efforts by Africa CDC, AUDA-NEPAD, and other AU bodies.
Furthermore, it complements the Africa CDC Flagship Initiative on Health Data Governance launched in 2023. This ongoing initiative aims to bolster regional data governance by providing tools, research, technical packages, and strategic support from a network of partners.
