Around 20 delegates from the European Union and the African Union — representing 15 countries and 11 continental institutions — convened today in Pretoria to deepen their “action-oriented collaboration” ahead of the AU-EU Summit.
Today’s high-level steering meeting on the AU-EU Health Partnership reaffirmed a bold, strategic commitment to universal health coverage, health equity, pandemic preparedness, and regional health sovereignty. Hosted by South Africa’s Ministry of Health at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Health Sciences, the gathering sets the stage for enhanced cooperation ahead of the Summit in Luanda, Angola (Nov 24-25) and marks a milestone in the 25-year AU-EU health collaboration (#AUEU25).
Key objectives for the meeting include aligning continental health priorities, advancing sustainable health-financing mechanisms, strengthening access to vaccines and medicines, promoting African health-product manufacturing, and reinforcing resilient health systems. Leadership from both continents emphasised: no one is healthy unless everyone is healthy — a core principle in global health diplomacy.
Since 2021, Africa-Europe health collaboration has accelerated across five critical thematic areas:
- Vaccine, medicines and health-technology manufacturing (MAV+)
- Sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR)
- “One Health” approach for sustainable health security (HSOH)
- Digital health systems & universal health coverage (DH)
- Support for public health institutes (PHI)
Looking forward, delegates anticipate major milestones: new twinning partnerships between African and European public-health institutions, continental pooled procurement of medicines and vaccines, roll-out of digital primary-health initiatives in multiple countries, and an African Vaccines Manufacturing Accelerator program to boost local production. These efforts will help realise stronger domestic health investment, deeper equity in access, and resilient health systems across continents.
The meeting signals the evolution of the AU-EU health partnership into a dynamic, mutually beneficial alliance — one that merges global health priority-setting with local, country-led implementation. The momentum will carry into the upcoming Summit in Luanda, where both continents will reaffirm their shared vision for a healthier, more secure future for all.
