Published: 27 October 2025
Designing and funding international health partnerships in ways that support equity, shared learning and sustainability is critical to ensuring the programmes are effective in the longer term.
Strengthening Health with Equitable International Partnerships: Key Learning and Best Practices, published by Public Health Wales and partners, sets out how global collaborations can help protect, improve and promote health in both Wales and its partner countries.
The report emphasises that international health partnerships are most effective when built on mutual respect, long term financing, and active involvement of both governments and communities overseas. It highlights how Welsh organisations are already leading the way but says continued investment and openness to learning from abroad are critical to success.
The authors also note that at a time of shifting government spending priorities and reductions in aid, it is more important than ever to ensure that partnerships deliver clear benefits for all sides, are sustainable, and are underpinned by strong evidence of impact.
Professor Jo Pedan, Consultant in Public Health for Public Health Wales, said:
“International partnerships should not be one-way acts of aid. They work best as reciprocal collaborations where innovations flow in both directions, building stronger health systems at home and abroad. With resources under pressure globally, it is vital that every partnership is effective and impactful so that the benefits for health are felt both in Wales and in our partner countries.”
The paper identifies several factors that underpin successful health partnerships:
Equitable partnerships, mutual goals, addressing power imbalances and ensuring decisions are jointly made and benefits are shared
Bi directional learning and ‘reverse innovation’, recognising that solutions pioneered in low and middle income countries can improve practice in high income settings
Capacity building and community engagement, strengthening local systems and giving communities a voice in shaping services
Sound governance and evaluation, ensuring accountability, transparency and measurable impact
Long term planning and sustainable funding, moving beyond pilot projects to create enduring impact
Wales has a long history of international health cooperation, from its early link with Lesotho in the 1980s to today’s Wales and Africa programme, Hub Cymru Africa, Global Health Partnerships Cymru and its WHO Collaborating Centre on Investment for Health and Well being. Every health board in Wales now has an African health link, and Wales hosts a fifth of all UK hospital links with counterparts in Africa.
The report highlights that such activity directly benefits Wales: healthcare staff gain new skills, cultural competence and motivation, while communities abroad receive training, better access to care and stronger health systems.
The authors caution that achieving these benefits depends on long term political and financial commitment. They urge Welsh Government and UK funding bodies to support multi year programmes, invest in robust evaluation, and encourage patient and community involvement in partnership governance.
The paper frames Wales as both a contributor and a learner. By embracing global knowledge exchange, including “reverse innovation” from lower income settings, Wales can help create more resilient, equitable and sustainable health systems at home and abroad.