Our work and impact in international health cooperation

To achieve these goals, our agency is running projects in partner countries for a total turnover of €128.4 million in the health sector in 2025. This figure has almost doubled since 2021.

1. Building equitable, resilient healthcare systems 

Public health and international development depend largely on the strength and quality of national healthcare systems. These must be equitable, inclusive, and able to adapt to both climate and societal shifts. Our work therefore focuses on building sustainable health systems using a systemic approach co-developed with local stakeholders.

Our priorities in this area include strengthening the skills and equitable distribution of healthcare workers, establishing resilient, fair health coverage systems, and enhancing service delivery across the continuum of care.

2. Promoting human health and well-being

To help build healthier, fairer societies, we promote a holistic vision of well-being that encompasses the physical, mental, reproductive, nutritional and social aspects of human health.

Our public health and international development work focuses on: maternal and child health; sexual and reproductive rights; mental health; violence, and vulnerability; prevention, nutrition and community engagement; reducing inequalities in access to healthcare; and supporting strategies against pandemics and communicable diseases. 

3. Managing public health emergencies 

With health crises becoming increasingly frequent in recent years, it is vital to deliver integrated, coordinated, long-term responses on a global scale to prevent and respond to public health emergencies.

Our work in this field focuses on four strategic priorities: anticipate and respond to public health emergencies; aid in prevention, monitoring and coordination; promote the One Health approach; and ensure access to safe, equitable, high-quality healthcare products. 

We have developed a results-driven quality approach to design projects that align with national health priorities. By working collaboratively and integrating local expertise, our agency delivers tailored, long-term solutions that maximise project impact. This approach contributes to strengthening local capacities and aligns with international commitments to localise aid, such as those made under the Grand Bargain. It also promotes long-term, sustainable development.

We prioritise cross-cutting accountability to donors, project partners and partner countries. To ensure effective oversight, we implement robust monitoring and evaluation systems that measure impact, reinforce accountability, and apply lessons learned to support continuous improvement of health-related projects.