Macron outlined the 120 million euro plan during the opening of the 74th world health assembly in Geneva.
He said the Global Health Academy would start its courses online from this summer and open up in 2023.
“The current pandemic, with its trail of misinformation, has shown us the importance of science and robust health systems," said Macron,
Access
“Access to scientific data, reliable information, and training for the general public and health workers are essential in the current fight against the pandemic.
"They will be at least as important in the face of all the shocks we are bound to experience in the years and decades to come."
The Global Health Academy has been in the pipeline since June 2019. However, the project - backed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) - was put on ice as the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March 2020.
It will be located in the Gerland biotechnology research zone, which also houses the International Agency for Research on Cancer and pharmaceutical groups such as Sanofi.
Information
A WHO spokesperson said the academy would provide data to all the countries operating under the WHO umbrella.
“The academy will harness the strength of the WHO’s partnerships, experts, collaborating centres and networks,” the spokesperson added.
The announcement comes amid squabbles over vaccine procurement, varying rates of vaccine take-up across the planet and a worldwide death toll from the coronavirus of nearly 4 million people.
The role of the WHO at the outset of the pandemic has also been under the spotlight.
Former US president Donald Trump withdrew American funding for the body because he said China had too much influence over the organisation - a charge denied by WHO bosses.
Macron used the start of the week-long health assembly to urge WHO chiefs to embrace reform to offset such attacks.
“The WHO must be robust in times of crisis, agile enough to react in emergencies, solid in the face of controversy and totally transparent to inspire confidence,” macron said.
“It must have clear and transparent governance so that it is not subject to any diplomatic pressure and cannot be suspected of any such pressure.”
