Senior health leaders from Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean conclude Rabat meeting with draft Statement of Intent

Rabat, 22 September 2025 - Senior health emergency leaders from across Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean concluded a three-day meeting in Rabat by putting forward a draft Statement of Intent. The working document sets out the collective intention of WHO Member States in both regions to strengthen communication and trust, reinforce preparedness, and improve collaboration when crises strike.

During the meeting - first of its kind, bringing together senior health emergency officials from the two WHO regions under one common platform - the Regional Health Emergency Leaders Network (HELN) was launched to connect countries and foster the trusted relationships needed for faster, more coordinated and agileresponses.

The African and Eastern Mediterranean regions face some of the world's highest burdens of humanitarian and health emergencies. 27 countries (almost half of all countries across both regions) are classified as fragile,conflict-affected and vulnerable by the World Bank. Cholera remains the most urgent and widespread threat across both Regions, while mpox is also being reported in several of the regions countries. The re-emergence of Ebola in Africa has also highlighted the urgency of better cross-border collaboration.

WHO Member States highlighted the value of a shared draft Statement of Intent that could guide future cooperation:

"The Rabat draft is an opportunity to act differently. When the next epidemic, natural disaster, or displacement crisis comes, we will now already know whom to call, how to share information, and how to respond. That is how we save lives."

- Prof. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, Deputy Minister of Health, Ghana

"For Jordan, the Rabat draft is about building reliable connections across borders. Whether facing displacement crises, outbreaks, or the health impacts of conflict, we need such a network that allows us to build on our collective experiences and expertise for a stronger national and regional response. That is what this draft sets in motion."

- Dr. Elham Khreisat, Secretary-General of Administrative and Financial Affairs, Ministry of Health, Jordan

"I firmly believe that the Rabat draft complements the priorities of the Pandemic Agreement, particularly its emphasis on solidarity, transparency, and predictable collaboration before and during health crises. By building trusted peer-to-peer connections across borders, the new Regional Health Emergency Leaders Network can help us operationalize the commitments made under the Pandemic Agreement faster and more efficiently."
- Dr. Soha Albayat, Director of Health Emergency, Ministry of Public Health, Qatar

"The Rabat draft is practical and grounded in real experience. In Congo-Brazzaville, we have seen how outbreaks like cholera or mpox can spread across borders and how costly delays in coordination can be. The Rabat draft helps ensure that next time, we respond faster, together."

- Prof. Donatien Moukassa, Chief of Staff, Ministry of Health and Population, Republic of the Congo

"By hosting this meeting in Rabat, Morocco sought to provide a platform where health leaders from both our regions could come together as equals. The Rabat draft is not only a text, it is a process - one that facilitates dialogue, coordination, and shared learning. Morocco is committed to helping create the conditions for stronger preparedness, so that when emergencies come, our countries are not responding alone, but together."

- Dr. Abdelkrim Meziane Belfkih, Secretary-General, Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Kingdom of Morocco

International partners echoed these themes:

"The launch of HELN marks an important step toward stronger collective preparedness. Shared borders mean shared responsibility, and when Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean strengthen their defenses, the whole world is better protected. The Gates Foundation fully supports this effort to turn lessons into action, and to build the trusted connections that save lives."

- Dr. Valerie Bemo, Deputy Director for Health Emergencies, Gates Foundation

The Rabat draft situates the new Health Emergency Leaders Network within the global health emergency preparedness and response architecture. It is designed to reinforce the Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC) - ensuring that countries from Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean are directly connected to this new international surge mechanism - as well as other existing regional and global platforms and networks.

Next steps will focus on further review and refinement of the draft, with health leaders already discussing joint preparedness activities such as peer-to-peer exchanges to share expertise and lessons across borders.