By Iyemah David
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening health systems and advancing Africa’s drive toward self-reliance.
The agreement, signed on Thursday on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, focuses on expanding integrated health service delivery, improving surveillance, and scaling up digital health tools across the continent.
Speaking on the development, Africa CDC Director-General, Dr Jean Kaseya, described the partnership as a critical step toward Africa’s health sovereignty.
“This partnership is an important step toward Africa’s health sovereignty. Together, we are helping build a safer, stronger and more self-reliant Africa,” Kaseya said.
Under the deal, both institutions will also strengthen community health workforce capacity, reinforce laboratory systems, and enhance emergency preparedness.
The collaboration further targets improvements in regional procurement and local manufacturing, including support for the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM), to ensure better access to essential medicines and health commodities.
In addition, the agreement seeks to boost domestic health financing and public financial management systems, enabling African countries to gradually reduce dependence on external funding.
Mr Peter Sands, Executive Director of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, said the partnership reflects evolving approaches to global health collaboration.
“This collaboration reflects how we are evolving our partnerships – supporting national and regional leadership while strengthening the systems, workforce and supply chains needed to save lives,” Sands said.
The partnership aligns with Africa CDC’s Africa Health Security and Sovereignty agenda, which prioritises resilient supply chains, local production, and stronger national health institutions.
Analysts said the agreement comes at a critical time as African countries face shrinking development assistance and prepare for the Global Fund’s next grant cycle.
The partnership is expected to help align donor investments with country priorities while supporting sustainable transitions to nationally led health systems.
Both organisations reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating efforts to end AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030, while building resilient and sustainable health systems across Africa.
