The Key achievements of the African Centre for Disease Control in 2024 were highlighted at 38th AU Summit by outgoing AU Chairman, Mauritania’s Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani.
In a presentation at the AU Summit in Addis Ababa, he outlined the accomplishments of the Africa CDC during 2024, a year that had witnessed significant health crises, including the outbreaks of monkeypox (MPOX), the Marburg virus, and cholera, which were further exacerbated by climate change and ongoing conflicts. Despite the Africa CDC’s heavy reliance on external funding, which accounts for 90% of its budget, the President noted its essential role in managing these health emergencies.
The Mauritanian President highlighted Africa CDC’s swift and effective response to these outbreaks, particularly its timely declaration of monkeypox as a public health emergency for continental security (PHECS). In collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centre coordinated responses, deployed experts to the field, and secured financial commitments of $1.1 billion. This allowed for the provision of 1.7 million vaccine doses across 29 affected or at-risk African countries. Furthermore, the Africa CDC played a pivotal role in containing the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda, limiting infections to 56 cases and deaths to 12, while its efforts in Tanzania helped detect 53 suspected cases. The Centre’s support extended to 15 countries in combatting cholera, providing vaccines and bolstering health systems.
Looking ahead, the President stressed the importance of enhancing Africa’s health independence, particularly in local manufacturing of health products. The report presented included updates on the African Vaccine Manufacturing Partnership, which is now a platform for harmonizing the continent’s health product manufacturing. In partnership with Afreximbank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the Africa CDC launched the African Procurement Pooling Mechanism (APPM) in 2024, which aims to regulate the African health market and is set to be submitted for approval in 2025. Additionally, a $1.2 billion investment into the African Vaccine Accelerator (AVMA) was announced, with the goal of increasing Africa’s vaccine manufacturing capacity to meet 60% of its needs by 2040. The report underscored the importance of reducing Africa’s reliance on external financing and enhancing its local capacities in prevention, surveillance, and health product production, as the continent works towards sustainable health security.