As host of a high-level side-event dedicated to moving towards increased equal access to quality health products held ahead of the EU-African Union Summit, Belgium presents the following outcome text, that reflects the exchanges hold during the event:
Belgium hosted a high level side-event ahead of the EU-Africa Summit to move towards increased equal access to quality health products. In support of African Union’s vision for public health, African and European country representatives, European Commission, African Union, international and national research institutes, Africa and EU medicine agencies and global health initiatives exchanged at high level on this topic.
COVID-19 pandemic has underlined interconnectedness of local and global actions and highlighted challenges in the global access to quality health products, in particular for Africa. Currently, below 1% of vaccines used in Africa are produced on the continent. To save lives now and prepare for future pandemics, it is critical to have strong health systems, with universal health coverage (UHC), providing access to quality health products. An Africa-Europe partnership in global health has the ability to elaborate structural solutions to build back better equitable access to quality health products. A shared vision on public health building on innovative ideas is key to mobilise support for strengthening health systems and pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
Panel exchanges particularly focused on the African Union’s ambitions to increase the production of vaccines and health products on the continent, through local innovation, access to and a voluntary transfer of health technologies, as well as a stringent enabling ecosystem and conducive regulatory framework in line with international (WHO) standards. These are crucial workstreams highlighted by the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) and are core building blocks of the Team Europe initiative (TEI) on manufacturing and access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies (MAV+) in Africa.
Ahead of the health-related discussions at the EU-AU Summit 2022, ‘Team Europe’ through European Commission, France, Germany, and Belgium, African Union through Africa CDC, and African countries South Africa, Senegal, Rwanda, and Ghana, expressed interest in:
- Seizing the momentum towards a strengthened Africa-Europe partnership in global health. This partnership holds a strong public health perspective, and continues to strengthen health systems with equitable access to health products. It builds on existing AU-EU collaboration in this domain and is in line with the recent African Union’s PAVM to substantially increase the local production of vaccine needs by 2040. Cooperation for improving vaccine roll-out should be promoted.
- Mobilising support to facilitate the access to and voluntary transfer of health technologies for end-to-end production and innovation in Africa, and to encourage stakeholders globally, including the private sector, universities and public institutions to voluntarily share their expertise and technical knowledge.
- Working together towards incentivising R&D and the whole product development cycle including those tackling Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and major diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, whereby international and local private sector investments contribute to Africa’s New Public Health Order.
- Joining effort in support of the African Union’s ambitions and the African Medicines Agency’s mandate to develop a harmonized, predictable regulatory environment for the approval, manufacturing, distribution and the quality assurance of health products. This includes building skills and building effort in the availability of human resources. Quality assurance requires partnering in support of the global fight against substandard and falsified medical products.
- Promoting the quality of medicines and other health products, including those procured by development cooperation initiatives in health. The AU-EU partnership promotes the manufacturing of quality assured, acceptable, accessible and affordable health products in Africa, using procurement, including pooling mechanisms, as a strategic tool. Co-organisers and participants will work together to share knowhow and to strengthen skills development of relevant public health institutions, at national and regional level, work closely with civil society on access to quality assured health products.
The AU-EU partnership seizes the momentum to strengthen its partnership in global health, and scale up efforts in equitable access to quality health products.
This event was hosted by Belgium and co-organised by ‘Team Europe’ through European Commission, France, Germany, and Belgium, and African Union through Africa CDC, with participation at high level from Rwanda, South Africa, Senegal, and Ghana, as well as leading stakeholders: Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Institut Pasteur de Dakar (Senegal), Enabel (Belgium), European Medicines Agency – EMA and Medicines Patent Pool – MPP.
