AU Member States Validate African Continental Health Data Governance Framework
African Union (AU) Member States have validated the African Continental Health Data Governance Framework, establishing a common approach for secure, ethical, and sovereign health data governance across the continent. This framework aims to guide national legislation, improve disease surveillance, and enhance healthcare delivery in an increasingly digital health landscape.
Why it matters
This framework is crucial for protecting privacy, ensuring cybersecurity, and enabling effective data sharing in Africa's rapidly digitizing health systems, which can significantly improve public health outcomes and resource management across the continent.
Validation marks a major step toward a shared continental approach to secure, ethical and sovereign health data governance, ahead of finalisation and consideration through African Union policy processes.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 22 October 2026 - African Union (AU) Member States have validated the African Continental Health Data Governance Framework, paving the way for Africa's first common continental approach on the lawful, secure, ethical and sovereign governance of health data.
The framework aims to establish an integrated African health data ecosystem in which Member States govern, protect and use health data. It will also guide countries in developing national legislation, policies and governance systems, while enabling secure data sharing to improve disease surveillance, public health responses and healthcare delivery.
Developed through successive consultations with AU Member States and stakeholders since 2025, the Framework has enabled countries to assess its provisions against diverse legal, institutional and digital-health contexts.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in