Leaders from across that continent participated from November 27th to 30th in the meeting under the theme “Breaking barriers: Repositioning Africa in the global health architecture”, which had nine plenary sessions and several side events.

Topics discussed were pandemic preparedness and resilient financing mechanisms for Africa, promoting local production of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics, strengthened and equitable health systems, and access to adequate healthcare for girls and women.

According to the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), which organized the event together with the Zambian Ministry of Health, the strategic plan is a step forward towards improving regional health preparedness and response.

The regional director for Africa of the World Health Organization (WHO), Matshidiso Moeti, recognized the importance of the initiative to strengthen health security in all regions.

Moeti pointed out that these “vital nerve centers, which will be fully operational by 2027, will safeguard communities and prevent tragic losses in 90 percent of the member states.”

The new stage of the association follows the declaration by the WHO of the end of the Covid-19 pandemic as a public health emergency of international importance, the official page of the event revealed.

The goal is to expand the scope and scale by focusing on completing the vaccination of healthcare workers and vulnerable groups, building a strong community workforce, ensuring preparedness for a future pandemic by strengthening national public health institutions, raising laboratory capacities and access to data, local manufacturing of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics and continued strengthening of the Africa CDC.

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