Brazzaville/Arusha—Today World Health Organization (WHO)’s Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) and the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in advancing health outcomes and resilient health systems across the East, Central and Southern African region.

The MoU establishes a structured framework for cooperation aligned with WHO’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 14) and regional priorities, reinforcing joint efforts to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage, health security and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, highlighted the value of strengthened regional partnerships in addressing complex health challenges. “This MoU is not only about cooperation between institutions, but also, perhaps more importantly, about delivering better health outcomes for Africans, especially the most vulnerable, across East, Central and Southern Africa,” he said.

Through this partnership, WHO AFRO and ECSA-HC will collaborate across a broad range of strategic areas, including primary health care strengthening, disease prevention and control, health workforce development, digital health transformation, regulatory harmonization, research and innovation and improved preparedness and response to public health emergencies. The agreement also underscores the importance of regional approaches to addressing emerging threats such as climate change, antimicrobial resistance and future pandemics.

ECSA-HC Director-General, Dr Ntuli Kapologwe, emphasized the importance of the agreement in supporting Member States. "This MoU strengthens our long-standing collaboration with WHO AFRO and enhances our collective ability to support countries in building resilient, equitable and people-centred health systems. Together, we will advance regional solutions that respond to shared health priorities and challenges,” he said.

WHO AFRO provides leadership and technical support to 47 Member States in the African Region. ECSA-HC is an intergovernmental organization established in 1974 to foster regional cooperation in health among its nine Member States: Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, the United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The MoU will be operationalized through a joint plan of action, including defined activities, timelines and monitoring mechanisms, ensuring coordinated implementation and accountability. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to solidarity, regional integration and sustainable investment in health systems to ensure no one is left behind.