The meeting held on December 22, 2025 between the Tunisian Minister of Health and the United States Ambassador in Tunis is part of a broader dynamic of restructuring Tunisia’s international health cooperation. The discussions focused on areas that are now central to contemporary health policies: digitalization of systems, artificial intelligence, training of human resources, scientific research, epidemiological surveillance according to the One Health approach, as well as investment in the medical sector.
These recent partnerships do not, however, summarize all of Tunisia’s international health cooperation, which has historically relied on other countries and institutions. On the other hand, they reflect a new phase, marked by more structuring projects, technologically advanced and part of long-term logics.
United States: digital health, training and equipment
Tunisian-American health cooperation is not a new development. In recent years, it has materialized through medical training programs, donations of specialized equipment and support for university and hospital structures. In 2025, the United States Embassy notably supported the Sfax Medical Research and Simulation Center by providing equipment intended for the practical training of health professionals.
Current discussions mark a shift towards more technology-intensive projects, focused on the digitalization of the health system, the use of artificial intelligence in epidemiological surveillance and the optimization of care pathways. This orientation broadens the scope of the Tunisian-American partnership, traditionally associated with other sectors, and underlines a progressive diversification of cooperation priorities.
South Korea: first robot-assisted nephrectomy in Tunisia
Cooperation with South Korea is part of a more targeted register, focused on advanced medical technology. On December 16, 2025, a team from the Charles-Nicolle University Hospital in Tunis performed the first robot-assisted nephrectomy ever performed in Tunisia, marking a symbolic step in the introduction of robotic surgery in the country.
This intervention, carried out with the support of South Korean experts, is part of a broader skills transfer program, including the training of Tunisian surgeons, technical support and the development of minimally invasive surgery. It positions Tunisian-Korean cooperation in a logic of expertise and technological upgrading rather than heavy infrastructural investments.
Saudi Arabia: King Salman University Hospital in Kairouan
At the same time, Saudi Arabia is involved in one of the most structuring hospital projects in the center of the country: the King Salman Ben Abdelaziz University Hospital Center in Kairouan. Largely financed by the Saudi Fund for Development, this project provides for the construction of a high-capacity university hospital intended to strengthen the provision of specialized care and medical training in the region.
With a marked territorial impact, this project is part of a heavy infrastructure logic and constitutes one of the main foreign investments in the public health sector in Tunisia.
China: integrated hospital projects and medical cooperation
China also remains an active player in the Tunisian health landscape. Tunisian-Chinese cooperation covers several areas, ranging from hospital support to training, including integrated medical center projects, particularly in Kairouan. These initiatives aim to combine care, medical education and research, in a long-term approach based on institutional partnerships and structuring infrastructures.
The health partnerships undertaken by Tunisia outline an increasingly differentiated international cooperation: the United States supports the modernization of systems, training and digital technology, South Korea intervenes in cutting-edge medical technologies such as robotic surgery, while Saudi Arabia and China are positioning themselves on heavy structural investments. The Tunisian-American meeting in December 2025 is thus part of a dynamic already underway, marked by the overlap and complementarity of foreign cooperation in the health sector.
Also read:
