EU Horizon Europe: Integrated Health Systems Strengthening for Pandemic Preparedness in Sub-Saharan Africa

This EUR 80 million Horizon Europe call represents a flagship initiative under the EU's Global Health Security agenda, specifically targeting systemic weaknesses in Sub-Saharan African health systems exposed by recent epidemics. The programme aims to build resilient capacity for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, directly contributing to SDG 3 and the WHO's PPPR agenda. Proposals must demonstrate a clear theory of change linking health systems strengthening interventions to improved outbreak detection and response times. The European Commission expects consortia to include at least three EU partners and mandatory African co-beneficiaries, ensuring true partnership and local ownership. Projects will run for 36-48 months with budgets between EUR 5-10 million. This call is part of the Horizon Europe Cluster 1 (Health) and closely aligns with the EU-Africa Global Health Partnership. The call prioritises integrated disease surveillance systems, digital health innovations, public health laboratory networks, health workforce capacity, resilient supply chains, and community engagement strategies. Gender equality and inclusion of vulnerable populations are cross-cutting requirements. Successful consortia will demonstrate expertise in health systems governance, supply chain logistics, laboratory networks, and community engagement. Key performance indicators include reduced time to outbreak detection, improved vaccination coverage, and strengthened public health emergency operations centres.

Strategic Overview

This EUR 80 million Horizon Europe call represents a flagship initiative under the EU's Global Health Security agenda, specifically targeting systemic weaknesses in Sub-Saharan African health systems exposed by recent epidemics. The programme aims to build resilient capacity for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, directly contributing to SDG 3 and the WHO's PPPR agenda. Proposals must demonstrate a clear theory of change linking health systems strengthening interventions to improved outbreak detection and response times. The European Commission expects consortia to include at least three EU partners and mandatory African co-beneficiaries, ensuring true partnership and local ownership. Projects will run for 36-48 months with budgets between EUR 5-10 million. This call is part of the Horizon Europe Cluster 1 (Health) and closely aligns with the EU-Africa Global Health Partnership. The call prioritises integrated disease surveillance systems, digital health innovations, public health laboratory networks, health workforce capacity, resilient supply chains, and community engagement strategies. Gender equality and inclusion of vulnerable populations are cross-cutting requirements. Successful consortia will demonstrate expertise in health systems governance, supply chain logistics, laboratory networks, and community engagement. Key performance indicators include reduced time to outbreak detection, improved vaccination coverage, and strengthened public health emergency operations centres.

Who is it For?

This call is specifically designed for transnational consortia comprising at least three independent legal entities from three different EU member states or associated countries. Lead coordinators must be established in the EU. Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, non-governmental organisations, international organisations, and private sector actors (including SMEs). African partners (universities, research institutions, ministries of health, local CSOs, and regional bodies like the Africa CDC) are mandatory participants as co-beneficiaries to ensure local ownership and capacity building. Consortia should bring together complementary expertise in public health, epidemiology, health economics, data science, and health systems management. Specialists in Health Information Systems (HIS), surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, and community health will be crucial. Organisations with strong networks in Sub-Saharan Africa and demonstrated experience in EU-funded health programmes are strongly preferred.

Priorities

The overarching priority is to strengthen national and regional capacities for early detection, rapid response, and effective management of health emergencies. Specific priority areas include: (1) Integrated disease surveillance systems linking community, facility, and laboratory data; (2) Digital health innovations for real-time outbreak intelligence and decision support; (3) Strengthening public health laboratory networks including molecular diagnostics and genomic sequencing capacity; (4) Health workforce capacity for epidemic preparedness, including infection prevention and control (IPC); (5) Resilient supply chains for essential medicines, vaccines, and diagnostics; (6) Community engagement and risk communication strategies tailored to local contexts. The call emphasises cross-sectoral collaboration (One Health approach) and integration of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in emergency response. Gender equality and inclusion of vulnerable populations are cross-cutting requirements.

Eligibility

Eligibility requirements include: (1) Consortia must consist of at least three independent legal entities from three different EU member states or Horizon Europe associated countries; (2) African partners must be included; (3) Coordinator must be established in an EU member state; (4) All entities must be legally registered and have a valid PIC (Participant Identification Code) in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; (5) Financial capacity check for grants over EUR 500,000; (6) No double funding from other EU sources; (7) Compliance with Horizon Europe ethical standards, including informed consent, data protection, and animal welfare; (8) Researchers must submit a Data Management Plan. Specific admissibility conditions include a 45-page proposal limit and mandatory use of the Horizon Europe templates. Applicants must demonstrate operational capacity to manage complex multi-country projects. Previous experience in Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe projects is an advantage.

Path to Success

To maximise chances of success, organisations should follow a strategic roadmap integrating GSLI capacity-building courses. Step 1: Form a diverse consortium with complementary expertise. Use GSLI's 'Project Management for Development' course to structure collaboration agreements and define roles. Step 2: Develop a robust technical methodology. Leverage GSLI's 'Public Health & Epidemiology' course to design evidence-based surveillance and response approaches. Step 3: Craft a compelling proposal emphasising local ownership and sustainability. GSLI's 'Writing Winning Proposals' course provides detailed guidance on structuring impact pathways and theory of change. Step 4: Strengthen financial and operational capacity. GSLI's 'Financial Management for NGOs' course ensures compliance with Horizon Europe financial rules, including personnel costs and indirect costs. Step 5: Plan for monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL). GSLI's 'Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E)' course helps design robust indicator frameworks and data quality assurance mechanisms. Early engagement with the European Commission's National Contact Points (NCPs) is also recommended.

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Deadline: 2026-09-15

Persona: General

Urgency: Normal