African Union (AU)

APPROXIMATE COMMITTEE SIZE: 55 Double DELEGATIONS

The African Union (AU) is a continental body tasked with promoting unity, cooperation, and sovereignty among its member states. Throughout its 24-year history, the AU has worked to address issues including public health, gender equality, climate change, and peace and security across the continent. This meeting of the African Union will focus specifically on healthcare and medicine in Africa. Topic A will address brain drain and consider strategies to improve health workforce retention. The growing shortage of trained medical personnel, or “brain drain,” places significant strain on already limited healthcare systems and exacerbates inequalities in access to care. Delegates debating this topic must discuss possible solutions to the brain drain, incentives for retaining healthcare workers domestically, and regional cooperation in workforce development.

Topic B will consider the transition from traditional to modern medicine through the lenses of regulation, trust, and access. Despite the expansion of modern healthcare systems, traditional medicine remains widely used, particularly in rural and underserved communities where access to formal medical care is limited. Delegates will examine how governments and public health institutions should regulate traditional medicinal practices while balancing concerns about safety, accessibility, cultural legitimacy, and standardization. Discussion will focus particularly on the challenges of integrating traditional and modern medicine while balancing expanded healthcare access with maintaining public trust and health.

Chair: silo kim & Daniella Amokeodo

TOPICS

Topic A: Brain Drain and Health Workforce Retention

Topic B: Integrating Traditional and Modern Medicine: Regulation, Trust, and Access