● Fixing vaccine inequity requires tackling the root cause & power imbalances . This means more African manufacturing, but also fostering technology - transfer, supporting the TRIPS waiver, and cooperating to boost transparency in vaccine supply and contracts to ensure African countries are not paying twice as much for vaccines as high - income countries. ● Youth are driver s for change but need a space in policy - making processes. Leaders should need to engage youth as partners and not targets , and give them a seat at the table at high - level events like the AU - EU Summit. Youth across Africa and Europe should be building coalitions together based on shared challenges and presenting a united front for cooperation. ● Health underpins productivity and employment & l eaders should recognize the link between increasing spending on health and ca talyzing economic development. Fighting brain drain requires A frican governments to drastically increase spending on health systems , including by mobilizing domestic resources and fighting illicit financial flows . AU and EU leaders should cooperate to ensure spending does not decrease with increased health ODA. ● European governments should provide emergency liquidity for health by closing the gap to the target of recycling $100 bill ion of SDRs , and rechanneling at least $45 billion of SDRs at the AU - EU Summit. EU Member States should contribute additional financing to the Team Europe investment packages. ● Leaders should aim to build sustainable health ecosystems by leveraging all othe r financial tools available , including mobilizing private sector investment in certain health sectors, such as medical diagnostics & medicines manufacturing. ● H.E. Ambassador Harriet Sena Siaw - Boateng — Permanent Representative of Ghana to the EU ● Ms. Fanny De Baere — ONE Global Activist – France ● Ms. Zigwai Tagwai — ONE Global Activist – Nigeria ● Mr. Mohamed Ramy — Co - Founder of Generations for Health, member of Africa - Europe Foundation Strategy Group on Health ● Mr. Koen Doens — Director General, DG INTPA, European Commission ● Ms. Lurit Yugusuk — ONE Youth Activist – Kenya ● Ms. Antonia Pohl — ONE Youth Activist – Germany | 14 February 2022 | Panelists began the first session by underlining that health is not only a basic human right, it’s also the key to successful economies and is a common denominator that ties us all together Africa had the fastest growing tourism sector in the world and contributed 8.5% of GDP before COVD, Zi gwai noted, and now it is set to lo se $120 billion and millions of jobs “Health is wealth” Ambassador Siaw - Boateng succinctly noted, adding that reaching the ambitious SDG targets wouldn’t be possible without a healthy, productive young population. The crux of the problem, Mohamed argued, is that inequalities in access to health and vaccines are undermining the Africa - Europe partnership. “ We must address these power imbalances to not only strengthen Africa - Europe relations, but also to create jobs and cu ltivate talent in Africa. ” Panelists noted that some work is underway with the WHO - Tech Transfer Hub and in Ghana, Senegal and Rwanda and South Africa, but Zigwai stressed that addressing root causes of vaccine inequity requires investing in infrastructur e pipelines, technology transfer, and transparency in supply and contracts so that poorer countries are not paying twice as much for vaccines as high - income countries. But how do we get there - where is there space for youth to play a role? The Ambassador noted that youth need to be involved in shaping health policies, and that leaders can take steps by engaging youth as partners and not targets, and by giving them a seat at the table, including at the AU - EU Summit roundtables . Panelists continued that you th can have more impact by cooperating better, and sharing information and research, and building coalitions and common visions . Fanny, Ambassador Siaw - Boateng , and Zigwai agreed on the value of creating connections between African and European youth, and Fanny explained how the ONE Africa Europe Task Force brings youth from both continents together to shape their own solutions. Fear and uncertainty drive vaccine hoarding and vaccine nationalism, fear of losing out on profits drives opposition to the TRIPS waiver, Mohamed argued, but youth can be the united front who speak out on these dynamics, build trust and move towards cooperation. This spirit of durable cooperation, panelists argued, must underpin a reformed Africa - Europe partnership, and is the key fo r governments to protect their own citizens. We can’t have one half of the world doing something, and the other half not benefit at all. Panelists closed the discussion by considering how to make health a permanent priority – and the need for youth to be included in the formation of the proposed Pandemic Treaty . Fanny noted that while it’s fantastic some governments have increased spending on health to fight COVID - 19, we need written promises that this will be maintained , al ongside structures to quickly mobilize support for initiatives like th e ACT - Accelerator in any crisis. Health systems strengthening must become a permanent poli tical priority for all leaders. Panelists began the session by reaffirming how the pandemic has shown how essential health is to every aspect of our societies, building on the first session, and how strong health systems that can withstand crises are vital to our security. Antonia outlined how Af rican health systems in particular have faced disproportionate stress due to the brain - drain of healthcare workers leaving, almost 70,000 every year, and argued that tackling this would require minimum compensation packages for healthcare workers, addition al investments in health from the EU, and from African governments, which spend a fraction of GDP on health compared to other countries. Building on these ideas, Koen underlined the need to look beyond current emergencies, and focus on longer - term sustainability to fight brain drain , particularly supporting African - led health solutions to fight brain drain. He noted that within the ACT - Accelerator, the Health Systems Strengthening Pillar is the least financed, when it is perhaps the most important f rom the long - term perspective. He agreed that African governments should increase investment in health , and noted that often health budgets decrease when ODA to health increases. Antonia suggested that the Summit could potentially tackle this issue with a joint commitment from African and European leaders to increase financing to health systems. Continuing the discussion on financing , Lurit agreed on the need for effective domestic resource mobilization, and noted that it is essential to look at the big pic ture of Africa’s needs . Africa has an estimated $484 billion financing gap over the next three years, and while high - income countries have spent on average $695 per capita on social protection, low - income countries have spent just $4. Koen stressed that le aders need to use all tools to close these inequalities, highlighting that we need more public sector finance, but should also mobilizing DFI and private sector finance to create sustainable health ecosystems, pointing to successes in medical diagnostics a nd vaccine manufacturing hubs. Koen also emphasized the importance of SDRs, noting that while EU leaders are politically committed to the 18 May target of rechanneling $100 billion of SDRs , it has not been reached In response, Lurit agreed that SDRs could b e an innovative opportunity, and noted that ONE African and European activists are asking EU Member States close this gap at the AU - EU Summit by pledgi n g at least $45 billion of SDRs and made a call to action for European leaders to make progress this week In closing panelists discussed how to ensure progress is made after the Summit , and Lurit and Antonia highlighted how the ONE Africa - Europe Task Force work can be a model for youth cooperation in the future, highlighting their joint advocacy work with M inisters and Ambassadors, and their open - letter to leaders We must show how we all face the same issues , and then work together to ensure that we’re all benefiting from the solutions , Lurit argued Antonia a lso noted that “we’re so happy to exchange ideas and participate at the Youth Track, but next time we really want to have a seat at the real Summit ” . Koen closed the event by highlighting leaders need to systemically engage with youth organizations , noting Commissioner Urpilainen’s commitment and the Youth Sounding Board, and challenged youth to keep up pressure on leaders to continue these dialogues across local governments, delegations, and the Africa Europe Foundation.