Latest news with #AfricaCentresforDiseaseControlandPrevention
TimesLIVE
09-05-2025
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Sierra Leone's mpox cases fuel African outbreak, says health body
Sierra Leone accounted for half of Africa's confirmed mpox cases this week, the continent's main health body said on Thursday, adding that the West African country was fuelling the outbreak. Mpox is a viral infection that spreads through close contact and typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. It is usually mild, but can be lethal. It remains a public health emergency due to the continuing rise in the number of cases and the geographic spread of the outbreak, according to the WHO, which first declared the emergency in August last year. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Sierra Leone reported 384 confirmed cases in a week, representing 50.7% of all the continent's cases. Sierra Leone, which declared mpox a public health emergency in January, has seen a 63% jump in confirmed cases in just one week, Africa CDC official Ngashi Ngongo said in an online briefing.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Sierra Leone's mpox cases fuel African outbreak, health body says
Dakar: Sierra Leone accounted for half of Africa's confirmed mpox cases this week, the continent's main health body said on Thursday, adding that the West African country was fuelling the outbreak. Mpox is a viral infection that spreads through close contact and typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. It is usually mild, but can be lethal. It remains a public health emergency due to the continuing rise in the number of cases and the geographic spread of the outbreak, according to the WHO, which first declared the emergency in August last year. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ( Africa CDC ) said Sierra Leone reported 384 confirmed cases in a week, representing 50.7 per cent of all the continent's cases. Sierra Leone, which declared mpox a public health emergency in January, has seen a 63% jump in confirmed cases in just one week, Africa CDC official Ngashi Ngongo said in an online briefing. Ngongo said that funding was the main issue, but added that contact tracing and laboratory capacity also needed to be improved. "They have a bed capacity in mpox treatment centres of only 60 beds, but we are talking about 800 active cases," Ngongo said, adding that most infected people had to stay at home. Last August, officials said the budget to fight mpox was severely underfunded, and in February they warned funding cuts proposed by the United States earlier this year would threaten efforts to contain disease outbreaks. Mpox cases in high-burden countries Uganda and Burundi are on a steady decline, while cases in Democratic Republic of Congo are showing signs of flattening, said Ngongo.
Zawya
23-04-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Angola Commits USD 5 Million to Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Championing Africa-Led Health Financing Strategy
In a strong act of continental solidarity, His Excellency João Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola and Chairperson of the African Union, announced a landmark voluntary contribution of USD 5 million to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), reaffirming Angola's leadership and enduring commitment to strengthening regional health security and sustainable health financing. The announcement came after a high-level meeting held earlier that week, on April 21, in Luanda between President Lourenço and Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed regional health priorities and the urgent need to mitigate the impact of declining development assistance. Reacting to the pledge, Dr. Kaseya commended President Lourenço's bold and visionary leadership: 'President Lourenço's leadership reflects Africa's collective determination to finance our health future,' said Dr. Kaseya. 'This commitment is not only historic—it sends a powerful signal that Africa is ready to lead from the front, with bold investments and African-led solutions.' President Lourenço also committed to convening a Committee of African Heads of State to champion the implementation of Africa CDC's continental strategy, 'Rethinking African Health Financing in a New Era' — a bold response to the sharp 70% decline in external development assistance for health across the continent. In support of local manufacturing, Dr. Kaseya announced that Africa CDC will support Angola's plan for production of mosquito bed nets —an initiative aimed at strengthening vector control and expanding regional production capacity. President Lourenço welcomed Africa CDC's commitment to advancing local manufacturing of health commodities and confirmed that a major national initiative aligned with this vision will soon be launched. The two leaders also discussed Angola's response to the ongoing cholera outbreak, with Dr. Kaseya commending the country's efforts and reaffirming Africa CDC's full financial and technical support. He further acknowledged Angola's essential role in advancing continental solidarity and public health resilience. This announcement marks a major milestone in Africa CDC's continued efforts to rally political leadership, domestic financing, and unified continental action around the New Public Health Order and the Lusaka Agenda. The agency continues to work closely with all AU Member States to build inclusive, self-reliant, and resilient health systems for Africa's 1.4 billion people. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Zawya
11-04-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Unveils Strategic Plan to Transform Health Financing and Advance Self-Reliance
With external health aid to Africa expected to plunge by 70% between 2021 and 2025, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has launched a continent-wide strategy to radically transform how health systems are financed, putting African resources at the centre of African health. The sharp decline in official development assistance, paired with a 41% surge in disease outbreaks from 2022 to 2024, is overwhelming already stretched health systems. Without urgent reform, the continent risks losing decades of hard-won progress in disease control, maternal care, and epidemic preparedness. Africa CDC's response is deliberate and strategic. In collaboration with African Union Member States, the agency will guide efforts to revise national health financing plans, strengthen domestic investment in health, and pilot innovative, context-specific revenue mechanisms designed to mobilise sustainable and predictable funding. 'Africa cannot continue outsourcing its health security,' said Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC. 'This strategy is not about aid—it's about ownership. We are building a future where Africa invests in its people, drives its own health agenda, and responds to crises with speed, strength, and self-reliance.' The strategy urges governments to fulfil the Abuja Declaration by allocating at least 15% of national budgets to health. It also introduces innovative financing ideas such as solidarity levies on airline tickets, alcohol, and mobile services, while exploring how Africa's US$95 billion in annual diaspora remittances can support national health priorities. Blended finance tools will be used to unlock public and private capital for critical investments in infrastructure, digital health, and local production of vaccines and medical supplies. Implementation will be phased. The first phase (2025–2026) will focus on updating national health financing plans in 30 countries, piloting innovative revenue mechanisms, and launching transparency dashboards. The second phase (2026–2030) will scale successful approaches, with the goal of enabling at least 20 countries to finance 50 percent or more of their health budgets through sustainable domestic sources. To track results and ensure accountability, Africa CDC will deploy a new African Health Financing Scorecard to monitor progress, improve donor alignment, and boost efficiency in domestic spending. The strategy marks a critical turning point for Africa's health independence. With political momentum from the African Union and proven regional coordination mechanisms, Africa CDC is positioning itself and the continent to lead a new era of sustainable, sovereign health financing. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Zawya
11-04-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Africa's Plan to Fill Health Funding Gaps Amidst Declining Coffers
Africa's top public health institution is planning to tap more funds from domestic sources to protect the gains made over the past two decades in epidemic preparedness and response, following a steep decline in external support. Since the decline of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Africa by 70% over the past few years, one thing has become abundantly clear: there is a gap in health funding, putting pressure on already fragile health systems. Historically, ODA has been instrumental in achieving a 50% reduction in under-five mortality between 1990 and 2019, expanding routine immunization coverage, and supporting HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs that now provide antiretroviral therapy to over 18 million people across Africa. It also enabled rapid responses to major health crises, such as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The contraction in funding coincides with a rise in disease outbreaks. Between 2022 and 2024, the continent witnessed a 40% increase in reported public health emergencies. Concerns also persist about the return of viral haemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola and Marburg, while climate shocks — ranging from floods to heatwaves — are fueling new health risks, often in regions least equipped to respond. 'We are also facing a number of issues in terms of debt servicing and dependence on imported medical countermeasures. Combining these two factors, Africa is facing a major risk,' said Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The situation poses a broader challenge within Africa's health security architecture, but work is ongoing to reverse the funding uncertainty. Africa CDC has mobilized African Union Member States toward a new era of health investment. Dr. Kaseya proposes a three-pronged strategy to enhance sustainability and reduce reliance on external donors, outlined in a new paper. He is calling on African Union Member States to increase their domestic funding for public health. Only two countries currently meet the Abuja target of allocating 15% of national budgets to healthcare. Domestic commitment is essential to safeguarding health systems against the volatility of international funding, he notes. 'We need to have a costed strategic plan and a national financing plan. We need to push for more alignment of external resources,' said Dr. Kaseya. Second, Africa CDC is pursuing new financing models. These include the Africa Epidemics Fund, whose operational framework was launched in February 2025, as a pooled resource for emergency preparedness and rapid response. The agency is also exploring mechanisms such as an airline tax or regional solidarity levies to provide a more predictable stream of funding for outbreak management. Third, Africa CDC is seeking greater collaboration with philanthropic organisations and the private sector. The aim is to attract long-term investment into critical infrastructure, including local vaccine production, digital health systems, and logistics networks. As part of this effort, Africa CDC is implementing the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism to lower costs and increase access to essential health commodities across the continent. To support the mobilization of domestic funding and the pursuit of new financing models, Africa CDC is requesting USD 43 million. The fund will enable the successful execution of the plans to ensure measurable progress toward sustainable health financing across the continent. 'A detailed budget has been developed for each pillar of support, covering technical assistance for the development of costed national health plans, the establishment of the AU-led monitoring dashboard, implementation of the pilot airline tax, and the design and scaling of innovative and blended financing mechanisms,' says the paper on health financing. Galvanising broader support, Dr. Kaseya recently led a high-level diplomatic mission to the United States, Norway, and Denmark. In Washington, D.C., he and his team met with U.S. lawmakers, USAID, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and major philanthropic institutions, including the Gates and Rockefeller Foundations. These engagements focused on reaffirming Africa CDC's central role in global health security and appealing for continued support despite ongoing budgetary pressures in donor countries. 'An investment in Africa's public health is an investment in global stability,' said Dr. Kaseya during his visit to the U.S. 'Africa's progress cannot be reversed by temporary budget constraints in partner countries.' What may seem like a major setback could, in fact, be a defining opportunity, says Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, Principal Advisor to the Director General and the Continental Incident Manager for Mpox. 'Africa CDC is leveraging global funding cuts to champion sustainable health financing — fueling domestic investment, unlocking innovative funding streams, and building resilient systems for Africa's future,' says Dr. Ngongo. In Europe, discussions with government and development officials in Norway and Denmark highlighted a shared interest in strengthening health systems. While new financial commitments have yet to materialise, both countries signalled strong political support for Africa CDC's long-term objectives. During the trip to Norway, Dr. Kaseya signed a new Memorandum of Understanding between the Africa CDC and the Kingdom of Norway focused on building capacity, enhancing data for decision-making, and leveraging DHIS2—an open-source software platform for the collection, reporting, analysis, and dissemination of aggregate and individual-level data—for national and regional disease surveillance. Throughout these engagements, Dr. Kaseya emphasised that Africa is not seeking charity but partnerships. 'We are asking for solidarity and co-investment,' he said. 'What we are building is a firewall that protects not only Africa but the world.' Dr. Ngongo adds that it really doesn't help to complain. 'We have to be proactive in terms of thinking that, if this is the new normal — if that is the direction the world is taking — how do we remain fit in that context? What are the adjustments we need to make on our side to turn this challenge into an opportunity for Africa? That's the angle we have taken: to turn what may seem like a setback into an opportunity. This is why we're moving ahead with a new strategy — one that prioritises increased domestic resource mobilisation, explores innovative financing like solidarity levies and sin taxes, and brings in private sector investment. We see this not only as a challenge, but also as a moment to reshape the future of health financing on the continent.' Africa CDC's efforts to build a strong war chest to fund responses to outbreaks and fight diseases across Africa received a boost from two African Heads of State on March 14. President of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, took over the rotating African Union (AU) chairmanship at the opening of the 38th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government on February 15. 'I strongly commend the remarkable efforts of the Africa CDC in advancing the continent's public health agenda, tying it closely to economic growth and job creation, and ensuring the safety and well-being of all Africans,' President Lourenço said. Africa CDC plays a key role in strengthening Africa's capacity to respond effectively and rapidly to emerging health threats, he said. 'The fundamental role that this institution has played has set a commendable standard in disease surveillance, prevention, and control, contributing immensely to continental and global health security. I reaffirm my commitment to providing continuous and sound support to Africa CDC, empowering you to fully discharge its essential mandate,' President Lourenço said. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who also visited Africa CDC on the same day, called on AU members to intensify their collective support in elevating the Africa CDC as a premier public health institution. 'It is incumbent upon us to strengthen this institution in collaboration with partners. I call upon fellow African leaders to join efforts in establishing our continental public health agency as a premier institution, fully committed to advancing health across the continent,' Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
