Egypt, October 18, 2025 — Health ministers of Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, and Djibouti have signed a joint agreement to establish a Regional Health Alliance aimed at strengthening cooperation in public health, disease prevention, and emergency response.
The agreement was signed by Somalia’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Haji Adam; Sudan’s Minister of Health, Haitham Mohammed Ibrahim; Yemen’s Minister of Public Health and Population, Qassem Mohammed Bahaibah; and Djibouti’s Minister of Health, Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh, according to the Sudan News Agency (SUNA). Senior officials and representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) attended the ceremony.
The alliance seeks to improve coordination in key areas, including resource mobilization, strategic planning, and joint efforts to combat epidemics and cross-border diseases. It will also support efforts to strengthen national health systems and advance sustainable development across the four member states.
Sudan’s Health Ministry said the agreement follows months of technical consultations led by its Department of International Health, with logistical and technical support from WHO.
The first meeting of the alliance’s joint coordination mechanism is scheduled to take place in Khartoum in January 2026, marking the beginning of a new phase of regional collaboration and integrated health planning.
Health officials described the initiative as a key step toward achieving shared regional objectives in disease prevention, climate-related health resilience, and humanitarian response — particularly amid challenges linked to population displacement and emerging public health threats across the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.