On 7 December 2021, VENRO will host the international conference Shaping an African-European Partnership on Health – Perspectives from Civil Society in cooperation with CONCORD, Plataforma Portuguesa das ONGD and SLOGA. The event will bring together representatives from civil society, government and academia from throughout Europe and Africa to highlight the urgent need for stronger health policies based on solidarity. The conference focuses on the relations between the continents, the opportunities for joint action and the demands of civil society. The following questions will be addressed:
- How can human rights-based and more resilient health policies be developed? What strategies are needed on the scale of the Africa-EU Partnership?
- What is the role of civil society in health cooperation between the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU)? How can civil society actors in Africa and Europe be strengthened to play a more active role in shaping health policy?
The challenges facing health systems across the African continent are not new. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of comprehensive cooperation in working towards health equity. In recent years, Germany and the EU have repeatedly emphasised the prioritisation of partnering with Africa. However, the new EU-Africa Strategy only marginally engages with health topics. In this context, the conference aims to promote international cooperation and solidarity in the pursuit of coherent and people-centred health policies. Civil society organisations on both continents can contribute to health equity strategies by making demands and recommendations while ensuring transparency in resilience building.
The conference will be held in English, with simultaneous interpretation into French of two of the workshops as well as the round table.
You will find the programme here. For participation, kindly register here by 2 December 2021.
If you have any questions, please contact Andressa Barp Seufert (a.seufert(at)venro.org).