This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.
In the context of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week, the European Commission has announced three new Global Gateway investments that put the EU Global Health Resilience Initiative into action in partner countries. The package includes an EU guarantee of €63.5 million designed to mobilise private investment in health and nutrition businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa; an EU-backed European Investment Bank (EIB) loan of €15 million to expand vaccine and biological medicines production in Colombia; and €60 million in EU funding to strengthen primary health care in Ethiopia.
Mobilising private investment in health and nutrition in Africa
The Commission and Cardano Development have signed an agreement to launch the First Mover Health Investors Fund supported by an EU guarantee of €63.5 million. The guarantee is expected to mobilise approximately €150 million in investment for growth-stage health and nutrition companies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Fund will invest in areas including nutrition, local manufacturing of medicines, medical devices and consumables, quality health care delivery and health innovation. It will focus on businesses operating in markets that conventional investors continue to perceive as too risky with the aim of demonstrating that they can be both bankable and scalable. Accompanying technical assistance will strengthen the investment readiness, quality standards and impact of the companies supported by the fund.
Cardano Development is a group of companies that incubates, invests in and scales pioneering financial institutions for frontier and emerging markets. The guarantee is provided through the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+). By absorbing part of the investment risk, it is designed to crowd in commercial and institutional capital and help build a stronger track record for investment in African health markets.
Expanding vaccine and biological medicines production in Colombia
Backed by the Commission, the EIB is providing a €15 million venture loan to Colombian biotechnology company VaxThera as the first tranche of a financing package of up to €35 million.
The financing will support the construction, fitting out and validation of the second phase of the commercial-scale manufacturing facility of VaxThera. It will help expand integrated vaccine and biological medicines production in Colombia and strengthen the ability of the company to develop products addressing unmet medical needs.
The operation is backed by the Commission through an EFSD+ guarantee under the Accelerating Human Development (HDX) programme. Technical assistance of up to €1.5 million will support the development of three vaccine candidates for infectious diseases of regional and global importance in VaxThera’s research and development pipeline.
The investment brings together Colombian capacity with European technology and expertise. It is expected to create skilled jobs, strengthen Colombia’s biotechnology ecosystem and improve the region’s ability to produce essential health products and respond to future epidemics and pandemics.
Strengthening primary health care in Ethiopia
The Commission has announced a €60 million investment package developed with Ethiopia to improve the quality and accessibility of primary health care in the country.
EU financing will support the construction, rehabilitation and equipment of health infrastructure, enabling health facilities to meet the required operating and quality standards. It will also address factors affecting health outcomes in underserved communities, including access to water and sanitation, nutrition and gender-based violence.
Additionally, the EU will support the expansion of digitally enabled health insurance services in remote areas as well as biomedical training, research and innovation. EU-funded technical assistance will target strategic areas for local pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply chain management.
By bringing together infrastructure, skills and technology, the EU investments are expected to improve health services, increase domestic financing for health and create better conditions for private sector investment, including partnerships with European companies.
Background
Adopted in May 2026, the Global Health Resilience Initiative is the renewed EU approach to better prevent, prepare for and respond to global health threats, strengthen health systems and support partner countries’ health sovereignty. Its five priorities include resilient country-led health systems, stronger international prevention, preparedness and response, diversified supply chains and manufacturing of key health products, a more effective global health architecture, and greater trust in science and countering dis- and misinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference.
From 2021 to 2025, the EU mobilised more than €6 billion in global health funding. Through Global Gateway, the EU and its Member States have also mobilised more than €2 billion for the regional manufacture of vaccines, medicines and health technologies in Africa.
For more information
Global Health Resilience Initiative
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