The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union (EU) have launched a new partnership to advance the digital transformation of health systems in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on expanding the adoption of WHO’s Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN). The collaboration, announced at the World Health Summit 2025, aims to enhance pandemic preparedness, strengthen health security, and improve overall health and well-being across the region.
The GDHCN is a global platform that allows countries to securely verify nationally approved digital health credentials across borders. It builds on the European Union Digital COVID Certificate (EU DCC), which facilitated international verification of vaccination, testing, and recovery certificates across 76 countries and territories. Despite the EU DCC’s success, only four African countries—Benin, Cabo Verde, Seychelles, and Togo—were able to participate in the network. Since WHO assumed oversight of the system in 2023, the GDHCN has demonstrated potential to digitize the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP), also known as the Yellow Card, in line with updated International Health Regulations, enhancing global vaccination tracking, reducing fraud, and simplifying international health requirements.
Under the new agreement, an €8 million EU grant spanning 2025 to 2028 will support national efforts to strengthen digital health systems in sub-Saharan Africa. WHO will provide technical and policy guidance, working alongside regional partners such as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). This initiative forms part of the Digital Health workstream of the Team Europe Initiative on the EU-AU Health Partnership and aligns with the EU Global Gateway strategy, bringing together European and African stakeholders to build resilient digital health ecosystems.
The GDHCN empowers countries to develop trusted and interoperable digital health systems that directly benefit people by providing secure, portable health records accessible even during emergencies or international travel. Each country manages personal health records securely, ensuring privacy and preventing access by other parties, including WHO. The network adheres to internationally recognized standards for privacy, data protection, and interoperability, and participation is voluntary. By fostering cross-border collaboration, the initiative strengthens current health security while laying the foundation for more resilient, person-centered digital health systems in the future.
