What: High-Level Side Event on the sidelines of the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit under the theme: “Strengthening Integrated WASH-RMNCAH Systems through Digital and Data-Driven Approaches to Advance the Maputo Plan of Action and CARMMA Plus.”

When: Friday, 13 February 2026, from 1300 hrs. to 1600 hrs. (EAT)

Where: Hilton Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Who: Organized by the African Union Commission (AUC) - Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development

Participants:

• Heads of State and Government
• Ministers of Health of AU Member States
• African Union Commission and Africa CDC
• Regional Economic Communities
• National Digital Health Agencies
• Development partners and donors
• Civil society organizations and NGOs
• Digital health innovators, private sector, and academia
• Regional and continental health experts

Background:
On the margins of the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit, the African Union Commission will convene a High-Level Side Event to spotlight the transformative role of digital health technologies in accelerating progress toward improved Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) outcomes in Africa.

Despite decades of investment and scientific progress, Africa continues to bear a disproportionate burden of global maternal and child mortality. In 2023, the continent recorded an estimated maternal mortality ratio of 442 deaths per 100,000 live births, accounting for nearly two-thirds of global maternal deaths. Neonatal mortality remains a critical challenge, with over one million preventable neonatal deaths occurring annually across Africa.

The event is convened within the framework of the African Union Theme of the Year 2026: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.” It highlights how digital and data-driven solutions can strengthen integrated WASH-RMNCAH systems, improve service delivery, enhance real-time monitoring, and support accountability across the continuum of care.

The side event further aligns with the Maputo Plan of Action (2016-2030), the CARMMA Plus Campaign, and the African Union Digital Health Strategy 2024-2030, positioning digital health as a key enabler for resilient, people-centered, and equitable health systems.

A key highlight of the event will be the official launch of the CARMMA Plus Website, a continental digital hub designed to enhance visibility, coordination, and accountability in efforts to end preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths in Africa.

Objectives of the event are to:

1. Sustain high-level political commitment to leveraging digital health technologies to advance RMNCAH outcomes in Africa
2. Promote integrated digital solutions that strengthen WASH–RMNCAH systems across the continuum of care
3. Raise awareness of the African Union Digital Health Strategy 2024-2030 and its application at country level
4. Strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration among governments, partners, innovators, and civil society
5. Officially launch the CARMMA Plus Website as a continental digital platform for advocacy, learning, and accountability

Expected outcomes include:

1. Increased visibility of digital health as a catalyst for improved RMNCAH and WASH outcomes
2. Strengthened political and institutional commitment to scaling digital health solutions across AU Member States
3. Enhanced alignment among governments, development partners, and innovators on digital health investments
4. Actionable recommendations to accelerate the adoption and scale-up of digital health technologies for RMNCAH
5. Official operationalization of the CARMMA Plus Website

Participation at the event:
Attendance for members of the press is by invitation only.

Media representatives are invited to submit requests to attend or interview delegates to:

• Mr. Derrick Oduck Ochuot | Strategic Communication Expert, African Union Commission | Email: OchuotD@africanunion.org | Web: www.au.int