WHO and ECSA-HC Sign Agreement to Strengthen Regional Health Cooperation
The World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) and the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen regional collaboration aimed at improving health outcomes and building resilient health systems across East, Central and Southern Africa.
The agreement establishes a structured framework for cooperation aligned with WHO’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 14) and regional health priorities, reinforcing joint efforts to advance universal health coverage, health security and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Speaking at the signing, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, said strengthened regional partnerships are essential to addressing complex and emerging health challenges.
“This MoU is not only about cooperation between institutions, but more importantly about delivering better health outcomes for Africans, particularly the most vulnerable populations across the region,” Dr Janabi said.
Under the agreement, WHO AFRO and ECSA-HC will collaborate in key strategic areas including strengthening primary health care, disease prevention and control, health workforce development, digital health transformation, regulatory harmonisation, research and innovation, and improved preparedness and response to public health emergencies.
The partnership also highlights the importance of regional approaches to tackling emerging threats such as climate change, antimicrobial resistance and future pandemics.
ECSA-HC Director-General Dr Ntuli Kapologwe said the MoU builds on a long-standing partnership and enhances the capacity of both institutions to support Member States.
“This agreement strengthens our collaboration with WHO AFRO and improves our collective ability to help countries build resilient, equitable and people-centred health systems,” Dr Kapologwe said. “Together, we will advance regional solutions that respond to shared health priorities and challenges.”
WHO AFRO provides leadership and technical support to 47 Member States in the African Region, while ECSA-HC is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1974 to promote regional health cooperation among its nine Member States: Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The MoU will be implemented through a joint plan of action with clearly defined activities, timelines and monitoring mechanisms to ensure coordinated delivery and accountability. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to regional integration, solidarity and sustainable investment in health systems to ensure no one is left behind.
