UNAIDS and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the United Nations General Assembly to strengthen collaboration on Africa’s health security, community health systems, and sustainable HIV responses. The agreement highlights the shared commitment of both institutions to support African countries in addressing public health challenges and building resilient health systems.
The MoU establishes a framework for joint action, focusing on expanding community health workforces. It supports the African Union’s 2 Million Community Health Worker Initiative by training, reskilling, and deploying polyvalent health workers, particularly in rural and emergency settings, while prioritizing populations at risk of being left behind.
It also aims to bolster epidemic and pandemic preparedness by leveraging UNAIDS’ data and technical platforms alongside Africa CDC’s regulatory networks. This collaboration seeks to improve access to HIV commodities, enhance local manufacturing of essential medicines, and advocate for technology transfer to strengthen Africa’s capacity to respond to health emergencies.
Sustainable HIV responses are another key focus, with efforts to help African Union Member States implement transition and sustainability plans embedded in national health financing strategies. This includes expanding domestic revenue mobilization, integrating HIV services into primary healthcare and national insurance schemes, and exploring diversified funding mechanisms such as debt relief and blended finance.
The MoU further supports joint project development and resource mobilization, enabling both organizations to design collaborative programs, pool resources from partners, and share technical expertise through staff secondments where appropriate. The agreement underscores the commitment of UNAIDS and Africa CDC to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and promoting a healthier, more resilient African continent.
