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Russia Today
24-04-2025
- Health
- Russia Today
Russia launches first epidemic response drills in Africa
Russia's health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, has collaborated with Ethiopia's Health Ministry to conduct simulation drills for rapid response to sanitary and epidemiological emergencies in Africa as part of efforts to enhance the continent's epidemic readiness. The inaugural Russian-African International Exercises for Rapid Response Teams began in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, on Wednesday, Rospotrebnadzor announced in a press release. The agency said medical experts and public health officials from 15 African nations, Russia, and global organizations are taking part in the exercises for hands-on training in managing disease outbreaks. According to the statement, Russian specialists will teach the principles of team formation, resource mobilization, epidemiological investigation, and international coordination skills using mobile laboratories that Moscow supplied to Addis Ababa. In an opening speech read on his behalf, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated Moscow's commitment to strengthening health partnerships with African countries, stating that the Ethiopia initiative 'undoubtedly takes our cooperation to a qualitatively new level.' 'The Russian Federation attaches great importance to the development of international cooperation to counter the threat of dangerous infectious diseases. African states have traditionally been important partners for us in this area,' Putin said. He noted that since the second Russia-Africa summit in July 2023, Moscow has launched a large-scale program to help African states in combating outbreaks. 'In less than two years, more than 150 African specialists have already been trained within the framework of this program, joint research is being conducted to study dozens of dangerous infections, and six mobile laboratories have been delivered to African countries,' Putin said. The program in Addis Ababa is the latest outcome of the Russia-Africa Summit, where both sides agreed to expand cooperation in various fields, including health. Rospotrebnadzor has since ramped up its activities. Russia donated a mobile laboratory to the Republic of the Congo in February, following an agreement between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso last year to establish a joint laboratory for infectious disease prevention. Russia has also provided assistance to Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, DR Congo, Guinea, and Ethiopia in response to the mpox outbreak, which was declared a sanitary and epidemiological emergency last year. During recent talks with the deputy director general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Raji Tajudin, in Ethiopia, Rospotrebnadzor chief Anna Popova classified Africa as one of the regions most vulnerable to infectious disease risks.
United News of India
23-04-2025
- Health
- United News of India
Russia conducts large-scale program to help Africa fight epidemics
Moscow, Apr 23 (UNI) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday welcomed the participants of the first Russian-African international exercises of rapid response teams for sanitary and epidemiological emergencies, noting that Russia is conducting a large-scale program to assist Africa in combating epidemics. The exercise is taking place from April 23-25 in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. "Following the results of the second Russia-Africa Summit, we are implementing a large-scale program to help African friends in the fight against epidemics, including those with pandemic potential," Putin said in a telegram published by the Kremlin. In less than two years, the program has trained more than 150 African specialists, conducted joint research on dozens of dangerous infections, and dispatched six mobile laboratories to African countries, the Russian leader added. Sanitary and epidemiological services from Russia and 15 African countries, as well as representatives of various international and regional organizations, are taking part in the exercises, the telegram said. The event raises cooperation to a new level and provides an excellent opportunity to exchange professional experience, practice the joint use of specialized equipment and improve methods of responding to outbreaks of dangerous communicable diseases, Putin added. "I am confident that the exercise will be very useful for all the services involved and will make it possible to improve their readiness to protect people's health and well-being. I sincerely wish you success and all the best," Putin said. The second Russia-Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum took place in the Russian city of St. Petersburg from July 27–28, 2023. UNI SPUTNIK GNK
