The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Union (EU) have announced a new agreement to support the digital transformation of health systems and broader adoption of WHO’s Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN) in sub-Saharan Africa. This EU–WHO partnership will improve pandemic preparedness and accelerate progress towards better health and well-being for all.

The agreement was announced at the World Health Summit 2025 by Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Systems, Access and Data; Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa; and Martin Seychell, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships.

The 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 facilitated verification of vaccination, testing and recovery certification for international travellers connecting 76 countries and territories. However, only four countries from the WHO African Region – Benin, Cabo Verde, Seychelles and Togo – were able to join the EU DCC network.

Since its transfer to the WHO in 2023, the GDHCN has demonstrated significant potential in supporting the digitisation of the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP), commonly referred to as the Yellow Card, in line with the updated International Health Regulations (IHR). Making the most of its potential could enhance global vaccination tracking, reduce fraud, and simplify international health requirements.

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.

Empowering Countries and People

The GDHCN supports countries in building trusted, interoperable digital health systems that directly benefit people — providing secure, portable health records accessible wherever they travel, including during health emergencies. Personal health records are managed securely by each country or their health system. Other parties, including the WHO, cannot access these records.

The network is built on internationally recognised standards for privacy, data protection, and interoperability, and participation of countries is voluntary. The network fosters cross-border collaboration among governments and partners, strengthening health security today, while laying the foundation for more resilient, person-centred health systems for future generations.