Brazzaville, 17 February 2017 - The World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Union Commission (AUC) held a bilateral meeting at the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) Secretariat in Brazzaville on 16-17 February 2017 to take stock of progress in implementing their partnership agreement, discuss lessons learnt and map out the way forward. The meeting was attended by Senior Management from the African Union Commission, WHO AFRO and the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern and Mediterranean Region (WHO EMRO).

Both organizations are undergoing reforms, and the meeting was an opportunity to synergize efforts around common goals such as focus, efficiency, delivering, and improved financing. Beyond the reform, the need to focus on what each organization does best was emphasized. 

The establishment of the Africa Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (Africa CDC) was mentioned as a major partnership milestone, and a plan for experts from both organizations to meet to define concrete modalities for implementing the collaboration framework was discussed. Good progress was also noted in the implementation of the milestones leading to the establishment of the African Medicines Agency, which will play a critical role in building the capacity of Member States in medicines regulation and harmonization.

The meeting also adopted the joint work plan for the next two years (2017-2018) with activities of high impact for health in the African Continent in the context of the AU Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.  

Dr Mustapha Kaloko, outgoing AU Commissioner for Social Affairs, also commended the ongoing collaboration between the AUC and WHO and reaffirmed the AUC’s continued intent to strengthen its strategic partnership with WHO. Dr Moeti thanked Commissioner Kaloko for his role in strengthening the WHO-AUC partnership and expressed her optimism that the partnership will continue to be strengthened with the newly elected Commissioner. “Through your leadership, knowledge, passion and personal attributes, we have been able to move WHO-AU partnership forward. Thank you for the work that you have done,” she said, commending Commissioner Kaloko’s contribution to the existing strong partnership between the two organizations.  

WHO AFRO will continue to seek opportunities to strengthen its partnership with the AUC towards attaining the common goal of ensuring a healthy and prosperous Region.

For more information, please contact:

Dr Innocent Ntaganira, WHO Liaison Officer for the AU and ECA ntaganiraa [at] who.int (ntaganiraa[at]who[dot]int) +251 11 553 4777

Loza Mesfin, Communications Officer, WHO AFRO   tesfayel [at] who.int (tesfayel[at]who[dot]int) Tel +47 241 39779

C. Boakye-Agyemang, Acting WHO AFRO Regional Communications Adviser   Boakyeagyemangc [at] who.int (Boakyeagyemangc[at]who[dot]int) Tel +47 241 39420