The African Union and WHO signed a new MoU in Geneva to boost health security, universal coverage and emergency response across Africa, outlining five key collaboration areas.

The African Union and the World Health Organization signed an updated memorandum of understanding on Thursday in Geneva to deepen cooperation on health security and universal coverage across Africa.

The agreement was signed by AU Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development Amma Adomaa Twum‑Amoah, acting for AU Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Both officials said the pact marks a new chapter in AU‑WHO collaboration and a decisive step toward health sovereignty for African nations.

Twum‑Amoah emphasized that the partnership will enable the continent to respond more effectively to population health needs and ensure that no one is left behind. She added that the African Union values WHO’s central role in global health and looks forward to deepening joint action.

Ghebreyesus warned that cuts to bilateral aid threaten the health of millions in Africa. He said the renewed MoU reflects a determination to translate partnership into tangible results and to support countries in moving from aid dependency to sustainable self‑reliance.

Key areas of collaboration

• Health systems strengthening, including regulatory harmonisation, support for local pharmaceutical manufacturing, traditional medicine, domestic financing, workforce development and digital health innovation.
• Reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health, with continued backing for the Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa and the Addis Ababa Declaration on Immunisation.
• Disease prevention and control, covering communicable and non‑communicable diseases, efforts to end AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, elimination of neglected tropical diseases and reduction of viral hepatitis.
• Nutrition and food security, through implementation of the Africa Nutrition Strategy 2015‑2025 and related WHO initiatives.
• Health in emergency settings, strengthening joint responses to humanitarian crises, conflicts and climate‑related emergencies.

The MoU builds on the 2019 agreement by streamlining coordination across all AU entities and aligning actions with the continent’s health priorities. It also reaffirms WHO’s technical and normative leadership in both global and regional health matters.

Strategic context

The renewal comes as the African Union expands its voice in global health governance, bolstered by its G20 membership. It underscores WHO’s role as a trusted technical partner and signals new momentum for multilateral cooperation to address Africa’s most pressing health challenges.

Both parties indicated that implementation will involve regular joint reviews, capacity‑building missions and shared monitoring frameworks. The partnership aims to deliver measurable improvements in health outcomes while fostering sustainable financing mechanisms for the continent’s health systems.