African and European delegates convened in Pretoria, South Africa, to reaffirm and advance the AU-EU Health Partnership ahead of the upcoming AU-EU Summit in Luanda, Angola. Around 30 delegates representing 15 countries and 11 continental institutions participated in the high-level steering meeting, hosted by South Africa’s Ministry of Health and co-chaired by senior officials from the African Union, Africa CDC, the European Commission, and Belgium’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting focused on equity, security, and resilience, emphasizing a collaborative approach to strengthening health systems across both continents.
During the discussions, Dr. Jean Kaseya, Africa CDC Director General, highlighted the partnership’s commitment to health sovereignty, emphasizing sustainable health financing, African manufacturing of health products, robust pandemic preparedness, and regional leadership in global health architecture. Delegates discussed strategic alignment, consensus on health priorities, and areas for cooperation, reaffirming support for Universal Health Coverage through country-led health financing and leveraging initiatives such as the Lusaka Agenda, Accra reset, and the AU-EU Innovation Agenda.
Since 2021, the AU-EU Health Partnership has accelerated collaboration across five key thematic areas: manufacturing and access to vaccines, medicines, and health technologies (MAV+); sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR); sustainable health security via the “One Health” approach (HSOH); digital health for health systems strengthening (DH); and support for public health institutes (PHI). This partnership builds on long-standing clinical research cooperation between Africa and Europe under Global Health EDCTP3, delivering results including stronger regulatory systems, improved vaccine delivery, and expanded access to affordable medicines and vaccines for Africans.
Looking forward, the partnership aims to achieve several milestones, including increased collaboration between African and European public health institutions, enhanced disease surveillance, development of a “One Health” workforce, digitization of primary healthcare in additional countries, regional pooled procurement of medicines and vaccines, support for African vaccine manufacturers through the African Vaccines Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), and implementation of harmonized SRHR scorecards across regional economic communities. Innovative financing mechanisms, including the continental blended finance facility and the Human Development Accelerator, were also highlighted as tools to support these objectives.
The Pretoria meeting underscored the strength and progress of the AU-EU Health Partnership, demonstrating a shared commitment to building resilient, equitable health systems across Africa. Delegates emphasized the importance of continuing this momentum through strategic partnerships and cooperation, laying the groundwork for impactful outcomes at the AU-EU Summit in Luanda, Angola, later in November 2025.
