Tackling the global pandemic, a look at the African Union (AU) - European union (EU) partnership in the context of Covid-19 and beyond

Abstract

The COVID-19 health crisis and its devastating socioeconomic impact has in the past couple of years necessitated stronger partnerships and increased efforts to deepen cooperation among nations. It has brought to the fore the need to pool together and forge more robust and resilient partnerships and cooperation across the world. More than ever, international action and solidarity from development partners, foundations, the private sector, and individual well-wishers were needed to address the human, health, and socioeconomic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to this emergency, the Africa Union and European Union, as traditional partners, have collaborated and cooperated in addressing its impact. Key priority areas of focus include: investing in preparedness and early detection mechanisms, granting equitable access to vaccines, boosting Africa’s vaccine manufacturing efforts, enhancing medical Research and Development (R&D), among others, to guarantee recovery and build resilience for similar future emergencies and outbreaks.