Technical cooperation: a driver of France’s global health strategy

Priorities aligned with those of France

Between 2017 and 2022, Expertise France contributed to France’s global health strategy by mobilising technical expertise and as an operator for the implementation of multi-year projects financed by various donors (Unitaid, European Union, AFD, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs). It is also involved in the strategic dialogue on health, mainly (but not only) in the 19 priority countries of the Interministerial Committee for International Cooperation and Development (CICID).

Covid-19: an accelerator of action

The Covid-19 crisis has widely disrupted the global health agenda and polarised international influences. However, it has prompted a thorough review of action for global health security (GHS) at international level, which had previously been a low priority for many countries. This crisis has forced all health and political actors, as well as those working in other fields of health, to learn lessons from the emergence of infection risks and their management.

This has shown the importance of working through the prism of “One Health”, an initiative that promotes an integrated, systemic and unified approach to public, animal and environmental health at the local, national and global levels. It in particular aims to better address emerging diseases with pandemic risks.

French national operators have all contributed in their own way to supporting the response efforts of countries. In practical terms, the GHS component of the response to the Covid-19 crisis has resulted in the implementation of national and international measures and has accelerated financing channels.

The Covid-19 crisis has thereby been an accelerator of operations, in particular for strengthening health systems, but also and among other things for supporting the WHO. It has rallied operators in France and promoted a swift international position by France in favour of a multilateral response.

Back in March 2020, Expertise France was agile and responsive by taking action to structure the “EF Covid Health” platform alongside Team France. Launched as part of AFD Group’s “Covid-19 Health in Common” initiative, this platform for exchanges and expertise is managed by Expertise France. As science made progress on the modes of transmission of Covid-19, the clinical management and the populations at risk to be protected, it provided technical and scientific support to the health authorities in vulnerable countries through its network of experts in France and in the field.

“Expertise France took immediate action to address the Covid-19 emergency. Firstly, for access to reliable and verified information via the Covid-19 platform, which provides documentation on the disease, its modes of transmission, the tests and potential treatments. Secondly, L’Initiative, which is a facility financed by France via its contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, has adapted its activity through technical assistance missions to help countries access Covid-19 financing from the Global Fund and make additional financing available for projects that are already supported.”

Antoine Peigney, Director of Expertise France’s Health Department

Expertise France continued its health activities despite Covid-19

The agency’s activity has not stopped despite the fact that the Covid-19 crisis has seriously disrupted the international health agenda and ultimately Expertise France’s agenda.

The financing of L’Initiative, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2021, has risen from 5 to 9% of France’s contribution to the Global Fund, which increased as of 2020. This project implemented by Expertise France has contributed to advocacy aimed at making the strengthening of health systems a systematic and structuring operating method for countries and for the sustainability of international operations.

In addition to L’Initiative, Expertise France has continued to implement major projects with funds from AFD, the European Union and Unitaid.

For example, the SUCCESS project, which aims to validate an innovative secondary prevention approach to cervical cancer, has introduced screening through HPV tests and the treatment of precancerous lesions with thermal ablation technology in four countries: Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guatemala and the Philippines.

The PASA 2 programme has institutionally strengthened health facilities in Guinea. 27 engineers have been trained in infrastructure and maintenance and 15 projects are ongoing, including 9 rural health centres. These facilities will improve the health of a population base of over 1.3 million people, including over 150,000 in rural areas.

Through the MEDISAFE project, Expertise France has strengthened the national capacities of 11 East and Central African countries for the prevention, detection and response against the trafficking of falsified and substandard medicines.

New projects have also been set up, such as RESOH-LABO launched in January 2022. Financed by AFD and implemented by Expertise France, this project aims to contribute to improving the health of the population in the DRC and reducing gender inequalities in healthcare by changing certain power relations between women and men.