African Union and WHO Renew Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Health Systems Across Africa

The African Union (AU) Commission and the World Health Organization (WHO) have renewed their longstanding strategic partnership through an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed on May 24, 2025, during the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva. This renewed commitment aims to advance health security, universal health coverage, and sustainable development across Africa amid growing financial challenges in global health.

The MoU outlines five key areas of cooperation: health systems strengthening, reproductive and maternal health, disease prevention and control, nutrition and food security, and health in emergency settings. This includes support for local pharmaceutical manufacturing, maternal mortality reduction campaigns, communicable and noncommunicable disease control, nutrition strategies, and joint emergency responses.

The renewed partnership reflects the AU’s growing influence in global health governance and WHO’s role as a trusted technical partner, marking a new chapter in regional and multilateral cooperation for Africa’s health future.