by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE World Health Organisation (WHO) and European Union (EU) have partnered to support the digital transformation of health systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
The partnership is to boost the wider adoption of WHO’s Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN).
This EU–WHO partnership will improve pandemic preparedness and accelerate progress towards better health and well-being for all.
The agreement has been announced at the World Health Summit 2025.
GDHCN is a global system that enables countries to securely and reliably verify nationally approved digital health credentials across borders.
The system builds on the European Union Digital COVID Certificate (EU DCC), which facilitates verification of vaccination, testing and recovery certification for international travelers connecting 76 countries and territories.
However, only four countries from the WHO African region, namely Benin, Cape Verde, Seychelles and Togo, were able to join the EU DCC network.
Under the new joint agreement, which includes an €8 million EU grant spanning 2025 to 2028, WHO and the European Union will collaborate to bolster national efforts to advance the digital transformation of health systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
WHO will provide technical and policy expertise, in collaboration with regional partners such as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The EU investment is part of the Digital Health workstream of the Team Europe Initiative on the EU-AU Health Partnership, which brings together European and African stakeholders to build resilient digital health ecosystems across the continent, and is aligned with the EU Global Gateway strategy. –
– CAJ News