Conference at the European Parliament

Wednesday, 6 May 2026 • 13h30 – 18h00
European Parliament LibraryBrussels

The new Face of Africa’s Health

How can the Europeans contribute?

Europe confronted with new African realities

Recent developments have highlighted a worrying decline in medical aid to Africa. What is less visible, however, is that the face of health in Africa has profoundly changed. A new medical geography has emerged, shaped by increased life expectancy, rapid urbanisation, and the impacts of climate change. Non-communicable diseases have become the leading cause of mortality.

The Dakar Report provides a detailed, discipline-by-discipline account of the new challenges faced by African health systems—often with limited external support. For Europeans, standing alongside African partners requires acknowledging this fundamental transformation and mobilising all efforts accordingly.

Invited audience:

Members of the European Parliament • European institutions • Universities • Research organisations • Diplomatic representations • Global health stakeholders

Registration required by April 10. Limited number of seats

Programme

 

The European Parliament Library (DG EPRS),

under the authority of the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Mr Victor Negrescu,
has the honour of hosting the President of Université Paris Cité, Professor Edouard Kaminski, together with the Paris Cité Global Health Institute,

are pleased to host the Paris Cité Global Health Institute

on the occasion of the presentation of the updated Dakar Report, prepared by the African Research Network for Non-Communicable Diseases (ARN-ncd).

 

Opening remarks
by Marc Angel (MEP), Quaestor of the European Parliament, and by Matthieu Resche-Rigon, Dean of the Faculty of Health at Université Paris Cité.

 

Session 1

Understanding the new African realities: health, climate and policy frameworks


Xavier Jouven
Paris Cité Global Health Institute, Université Paris Cité
New African realities: epidemiological and demographic transitions
Why inherited paradigms no longer work.

Franck Debié
European Parliament
The geography of health: territories, inequalities and access
Understanding health dynamics at territorial scales.

Ibrahima Bara Diop
ARN-ncd
The Dakar Call: political significance and lessons for Europe
An African framework for rethinking global health, research and health sovereignty

Rainer Sauerborn
Heidelberg University
Climate and health: from health burden to political choices
Health as a key indicator of loss and damage

Claire Rieux
Médecins Sans Frontières
Crisis medicine and non-communicable diseases
When emergency becomes structural.

Discussion with the audience
How can Europe align with these emerging frameworks

 

Pause-café

 

Session 2

Acting: trust, innovation, financing and African leadership

Translating the diagnosis into concrete policy levers for Europe

Marie Antignac
Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, In-Hospital Pharmacy
Medicine quality: trust, regulation and sovereignty

Roland N’Guetta
ARN-ncd
Artificial intelligence and health in Africa
Opportunities, risks and disruptive innovations

Laure Blanchard
European Investment Bank 
Financing health differently: what European instruments for the future?

Mosoka Papa Fallah,
Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Building Pan-African Research Institutes for Africa’s Future

 

Collective Conclusion
Pan-African Research Institute, philanthropie africaine et recherche africaine pour l’Afrique

Registration

For security and access accreditation to the European Parliament, participants are required to provide their date of birth and ID/passport number. This information will be handled confidentially and used solely for this purpose.

Name
Type of ID