Africa CDC signs landmark health sovereignty agreement with the Global Fund at WHA79

ETHIOPIA—Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have agreed to strengthen Africa’s health systems, advance regional leadership and support the continent’s push toward greater health sovereignty and self-reliance.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, comes at a time when global health financing faces growing pressure from aid cuts, shifting donor priorities, and increasing disease threats.

The agreement reflects a broader effort by African institutions and global partners to build more resilient, integrated, and sustainable healthcare systems that are increasingly led and financed by African countries themselves.

Focus on stronger systems and local leadership

Under the new partnership, the two organizations will work together to improve integrated healthcare delivery, strengthen laboratory networks, expand disease surveillance systems, and scale up digital health tools to improve emergency preparedness and public health responses across the continent.

The agreement also prioritises expanding Africa’s community health workforce capacity, an area that the Africa CDC has increasingly emphasised as countries work to improve access to primary healthcare services and respond more effectively to outbreaks and public health emergencies.

The partnership builds on Africa CDC’s recent efforts to accelerate the deployment of community health workers across the continent through collaborations with regional partners.

Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, described the agreement as a major step toward strengthening Africa’s health sovereignty.

“This partnership is an important step toward Africa’s health sovereignty,” he said, adding that the collaboration will help build “a safer, stronger and more self-reliant Africa.”

Expanding manufacturing and procurement capacity

A major component of the agreement focuses on strengthening regional procurement systems, local manufacturing and supply chain resilience to improve access to essential medicines, diagnostics and other health products.

The two institutions will support the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM), which aims to help countries secure medical supplies more efficiently, reduce costs, and strengthen supply security.

The initiative aligns with broader continental efforts to increase local pharmaceutical manufacturing and reduce dependence on imported medical products.

The partnership also seeks to strengthen domestic health financing and improve public financial management systems as African governments increasingly work to reduce reliance on external donor funding and develop more sustainable national health programs.

Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, said the collaboration reflects the organization’s evolving strategy of supporting stronger regional and national leadership while reinforcing health systems and supply chains needed to sustain progress against major diseases.

Partnership comes amid mounting health pressures

The agreement was announced during the World Health Assembly in Geneva, where health leaders have been discussing pandemic preparedness, financing gaps and the growing pressure on healthcare systems worldwide.

Recent Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have further highlighted the need for stronger regional coordination, surveillance systems and emergency response capacity across Africa.