Between September 2025 and April 2026, the United States Government State Department rolled out the America First Global Health Strategy (AFGHS) which is a coordinated programme of five-year bilateral Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) that reshaped US health cooperation in African. At least 19 African countries are reported to have signed these MoUs by May 2026. This Working paper and information resource (Version June 24, 2026) is a live document that will be regularly updated. Feedback on the document is welcomed, and the document will integrate feedback received, and new evidence, analysis and experience as it emerges. While noting the specific resources covered in the MoUs, the brief reports six interlinking public health problems for East and Southern Africa, relating to domestic jurisdiction; fragmentation of continental policy positions; asymmetric data and pathogen extraction; erosion of data sovereignty; conditioning health on mineral access and trade; and forfeited benefit sharing. These problems are argued to call for regional engagement, legal and policy analysis, public information and diplomacy to protect health equity and sovereignty and African benefit from domestic health, genetic, and data resources.
Latest Equinet Updates
EQUINET is sharing knowledge, experiences and learning on health equity impacts of climate in webinars on various areas of health equity. The webinars include voices and expertise at community, local, national and regional levels within East and Southern Africa (ESA). This brief from the ninth webinar in June 2026 focuses on the interplay between antimicrobial resistance, heath equity and climate. Antimicrobial/antibiotic resistance (AMR/ABR) has reached significant levels in all regions, including Africa, is a significant threat to public health, and has interacted with climate change to intensify significant health burdens and inequalities. The brief summarises key issues related to: (i) the interconnectedness and impact of climate change and AMR from a health equity lens (ii) actions proposed to address these issues at local, national, regional and in global level processes; and (iii) issues for further research and discussion.
The 18th World Congress on Public Health took place in Cape Town, South Africa, from 6–9 September 2026. Held under the theme “Health Without Borders: Equity, Inclusion and Sustainability,” the Congress brought together public health leaders, practitioners, researchers and advocates to address some of the world’s most pressing health challenges. The Global Climate and Health Alliance, in partnership with groundWork South Africa, EQUINET and the Training and Research Support Centre, participated in the Congress and hosted several conversations exploring the connections between climate change, health and fossil fuels. This session examined how the fossil fuel industry maintains its social license through disinformation, sponsorship and narratives that normalise its role in society. It explored how public health can challenge this influence by reframing fossil fuels as a health-harming product, advancing accountability, and centering health equity and justice. The discussion also highlighted practical strategies for communications, litigation, conflict-of-interest safeguards and cross-sector coalition-building to support a just transition.
A neoliberal globalisation has amplified transnational commercial activity in East and Southern Africa (ESA) and weakened market regulation, such as in mining, infrastructures, energy, and manufacturing. While these activities potentially bring health benefit, they also bring significant population health harms that need to be controlled. Health impact assessment (HIA) provides an internationally recognised method to assess and manage health risks in commercial activities. Inequitably, it is scarcely applied in ESA, despite greater need. This workshop organised within the World Congress on Public Health, September 6-9 2026, in Cape Town international Convention Centre, South Africa presented evidence from convenor experience, desk review and government, professional and civil society structured dialogue during regional HIA training, to stimulate group discussion in the session on the barriers, enablers to, and measures to scale-up HIA in the region. The report summarises the information presented and discussed in the session.
EQUINET is producing a series of short video podcasts on the different areas of intersect between climate justice and health equity in east and southern Africa. We follow some characters that we have met in previous podcasts in this video podcast. Health services in East and Southern Africa have faced increased demand from climate-related impacts, but also experience damage to service infrastructures, transport and communication networks that makes people less likely to access services, or to find the medicines they need when they reach them. The podcast includes voices on how States must take action to ensure health care rights, and to protect against the violations caused by climate impacts, especially by investing in comprehensive primary health care and public health approaches. They say that our health sector response to climate change is not just about building health services that can withstand climate emergencies. It’s about building health systems that involve people and are a force for equity and action.
This webinar involved presentations from three presenters providing local, national and international level lenses on the issues and actions to be taken on the intersect between health equity, climate and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Panellists and participants shared experiences and noted areas for action to address the challenges raised, including the drivers of the intersect between climate, inequalities in heath and a silent pandemic of AMR in east and southern Africa.
EQUINET through TARSC and in association with regional (SATUCC, Talk AB[M]R) and international partners (Nossal Institute of Global Health, C Dora Brazil) in partnership with the ECSA Health Community is convening its 2026 online training and mentored case work to build HIA capacities in ESA countries. The course will provide materials and interactive presentations and will mentor HIAs proposed by participant teams to build understanding and practical skills to implement HIA, including strategic HIA. It will cover the purpose, legal basis and principles, the methods, evidence, analysis in, reporting of an HIA and the monitoring and communication of recommended actions. We will use online (zoom) training sessions in four course blocks, staggered at intervals between July 7 and October 22 2026 with time for practical work and online tutorials for teams to implement their own proposed HIAs. Applicants for the course are asked to read the further information on the course and the application requirements in the full call at the website below and to email their applications to the EQUINET secretariat before 5pm Southern Africa time June 3rd 2026 with HIA TRAINING in the subject line. We look forward to your participation!
Climate change has displaced about 22 million people in Sub Saharan Africa, most migrating within Africa. By 2050 this figure is estimated to rise to 100 million people. Migration has been beneficial and has been happening for thousands of years. But this climate-induced migration is particularly disrupting low-income families, leaving women, children and older people behind as ‘trapped populations’ to manage lives with dwindling resources. This video podcast tells this story and what can be done to prevent and mitigate impacts of climate on migration that are widening inequalities and undermining well being, and to protect those affected in sending and receiving countries and along the route.
Climate-related challenges affect every experience and dimension of health equity in the region. EQUINET is exploring this in a series of cross-cutting webinars. In 2026 we are now engaging across regions and networks to understand where we have shared priorities and responses to build wider alliances in advancing health equity for climate justice. This webinar involved brief presentations from EQUINET and its network members in ESA and from UNU and three country speakers from SE Asia on the issues and actions on health and climate. Panellists and participants shared priorities between the two regions and where they may also have alliances on shared responses.
Across the world, the race to go green has sparked a new rush for critical minerals, like lithium, cobalt and rare earths to use in new technologies to replace the fossil fuels that harm the planet. Mines are expanding across east and southern Africa, taking over land, and forests. Huge quantities of minerals are being exported outside the region, suggesting a promise of incomes and wealth. But behind every shining electric battery lies a darker story. This video podcast presents issues raised in the dialogues in EQUINET on the challenges for health equity and climate justice of the extractive sector and the proposed responses for preventing these impacts.