Africa to Get Europe’s €1 billion Support on Health Technology

Africa to Get Europe’s €1 billion Support on Health Technology

Africa is set to attract about one billion euro worth health funding and technical assistance from Europe.

The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced this at the G20 Global Health Summit in Rome, highlighting a Team Europe initiative on manufacturing and access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies in Africa.

The initiative will help create an enabling environment for local vaccines manufacturing in the African continent and tackle barriers on both supply and demand sides, backed by €1 billion from the EU budget and the European development finance institutions such as the European Investment Bank (EIB). This amount will be further enhanced by contributions from EU Member States.

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Ursula von der Leyen, said: “Local health capacities and institutions are the foundation of global health, but today the African continent imports 99% of its vaccines and 94% of its medicines. This has to change. Team Europe will support the continent with over €1 billion and expertise to help develop its own pharmaceutical, biotech and medtech industries, and ease equitable access to quality and safe products and technologies. The Initiative will also help develop a number of regional manufacturing hubs across the continent, so that the whole of the African continent can benefit.”

Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, said: “The Team Europe initiative will contribute to our African partners’ efforts to improve access to affordable, life-saving health products, advance universal health coverage, and strengthen health systems. It will also boost skills and help create jobs and opportunities for the younger African generations. Born from a key lesson learnt from this pandemic, this initiative incarnates the spirit of solidarity and mutually beneficial partnerships that the EU promotes.”

Next steps

Work has already begun to make these commitments a reality. The Commission has been engaged for a number of months with African partners, EU Member States, the EIB, European development finance institutions, and the private sector. A number of EU Member States have indicated their interest to join this Team Europe initiative.

The comprehensive strategy and operational steps will be prepared in close collaboration with African partners. Team Europe will work intensively during this year to prepare first announcements at the next EU-Africa summit.