The launch of this pioneering initiative was the result of a workshop organized by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) from November 27 to 29 in this capital to review and approve the action plan of this AU public health agency from 2024 to 2027.
It aims to unify efforts across the continent to address urgent health challenges by integrating prevention and control measures into national health systems.
Africa CDC Director General Dr Jean Kaseya said they would emerge from the workshop with strengthened strategies and renewed commitments to prevent and control HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis and neglected tropical diseases across the continent.
Kaseya warned that Africa continues to bear the brunt of infectious diseases, accounting for 94 percent of global malaria cases and 95 percent of malaria-related deaths.
“In addition, 40 percent of the global burden of neglected tropical diseases resides in Africa, affecting all Member States with at least one endemic neglected tropical disease,” he added.
He stressed the need for change, citing lack of funding, weak health systems, limited research and poor access to treatment as major obstacles to progress.
“We need to prepare to change this narrative by intensifying our efforts to find lasting solutions for the control and eventual elimination of these diseases,” he said.
Other objectives of the workshop included validating strategic priorities for disease prevention and control in relation to major health threats and enhancing multi-sectoral collaboration.
It also included finalizing a comprehensive implementation plan with clear monitoring and evaluation indicators, and establishing sustainable partnerships to strengthen health systems.
This initiative is aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Africa CDC’s “New Public Health Order,” which aims to increase the continent’s self-sufficiency in health security.
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