New South-South health cooperation initiative launched linking Africa and the Caribbean

The Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC), a new initiative to strengthen South-South health cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean, was launched today.The initiative stems from the recognition that the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic fell most heavily on developing countries, especially on women and children.

The pandemic led to the reversal of health gains, including maternal mortality.HeDPAC will focus on strengthening the health workforce in the two regions, and on sharing innovative solutions in primary health care, with a special emphasis on climate resilience, and maternal and child health.Promoting technology transfer for pharmaceutical manufacturing, building regulatory capacity, and enhancing universal health coverage will be core HeDPAC strategies.Dr Haileyesus Getahun will serve as the first CEO of HeDPAC.

Dr Getahun has a quarter-century of experience in global health, and currently serves as Director of Global Coordination on Antimicrobial Resistance at WHO.“COVID-19 exposed weaknesses in our health systems, but we also have the opportunity to address those challenges”, said President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, who is a champion of the initiative. “The time to act is now”, he said.“COVID-19 left an indelible scar on our global solidarity and the right of all people to good health”, said Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados, who is also championing HeDPAC. “It is our shared responsibility to ensure that the inequity of the global response to COVID-19 is not repeated.

This is the kind of action that will allow us to help people where they need it most.”“The establishment of HeDPAC heralds a new global public health order to realize health equity through greater