On 12th October 2026, in Berlin, UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health and the Coalition of Parliamentarians to End Malaria in Africa (COPEMA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), formalising a commitment to work together on Malaria, Infectious Diseases and Sustainable Health Financing.
COPEMA is a pan-African network of parliamentarians dedicated to Malaria elimination. Its mission is to advance political commitment, parliamentary advocacy, domestic resource mobilisation and accountability across the continent. The MoU was signed by Hon. Peter Njume, Co-Chair of COPEMA and a UNITE Member from Cameroon, and Dr. Ricardo Baptista Leite, Founder and President of UNITE.
What the MoU Commits to
The agreement sets out a four-year framework for cooperation between the two networks. Together, UNITE and COPEMA will:
- Co-organise a parliamentary meeting at the German Bundestag, on the margins of the World Health Summit 2026, on sustainable health financing
- Mobilise parliamentarians to take part in global fora, including the World Health Assembly and the Assemblies of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
- Advance parliamentary advocacy on sustainable financing for health, prevention, preparedness and response to infectious disease threats, Universal Health Coverage, access to innovation, and ending malaria
- Welcome COPEMA’s leadership and members to the UNITE Global Summit 2028
The first commitment under the MoU was already put into action as UNITE and COPEMA convened parliamentarians at the Bundestag for an exchange on Parliamentary Leadership for Sustainable Health Financing, together with representatives from the Global Fund and the Malaria Medicines Venture (MMV).
Why This Matters Now
The signing comes as global health financing is under growing strain. External funding is tightening, and countries are being asked to do more with domestic resources. Malaria remains one of the most pressing examples. Progress is possible, but it depends on sustained political commitment, protected budgets and strong accountability.
This is where parliamentarians make the difference. They approve budgets, shape legislation, hold governments to account, and translate community needs into effective policy. By bringing together UNITE’s global reach and COPEMA’s deep roots across Africa, this partnership aims to help close the gap between global commitments and local realities.
Why This Matters Now
The partnership with COPEMA reflects a core priority of the UNITE Strategy 2026-2030: Health as a Political Choice. The strategy is built on the conviction that international agreements and technical solutions only deliver impact when they are translated into national laws, budgets and effective oversight. Delivering on that requires working alongside the networks, institutions and regional coalitions that parliamentarians already rely on.
UNITE is committed to deepening its collaboration with other parliamentary networks, as it has done with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and Parliamentarians for Climate (P4C), so that parliamentarians are connected, equipped and supported to champion health at every level.
Read more about our collaboration with parliamentary networks.
