African Union–European Union cooperation on health

Summary:

In line with its 2022 global health strategy (GHS), the expansion of international partnerships on health is a priority for the European Union (EU). As the 2020 Africa strategy underlines, the African continent, including at regional and national levels, is one of the EU's strategic partners, not least on health. Nevertheless, it was not until February 2022, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, that health was explicitly included as one of the strategic priorities of the EU–African Union (AU) partnership. Since then, AU–EU cooperation on health has evolved. In February 2024, the partners confirmed their intention to enhance their health partnership, and identify new areas of joint work within the frameworks provided by the EU GHS and the AU New Public Health Order.

Five Team Europe initiatives (TEIs) underpin the EU's cooperation with African partners on health. The focus is on sustainable strengthening of the African architecture for health security and pandemic preparedness with the 'One Health' approach; enhancing Africa-based public health capacity, including through digital health; local production of health products; and improving sexual and reproductive health. The TEIs are supported by investment from the Global Gateway Africa–Europe investment package. The EU is also committed to the EU–Africa Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking under the Horizon Europe research and innovation funding programme.

Despite significant progress in EU–African cooperation on health during the past few years, several divergences and points of contention exist. For instance, both the EU and African partners state their commitment towards their shared goal of equity and equitable access to health products; however, their stance on making this priority operational diverges, and arguably constitutes the main friction point in the relations. The ongoing negotiations at the World Health Organization aiming to strengthen international health security highlight persisting issues. The European Parliament advocates an ambitious and comprehensive AU–EU health agenda. Parliament has for instance called for prioritisation of health in AU–EU relations, technology transfer, enhanced financing, and a focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights and a 'One Health' approach.

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