Report of an Emergency Meeting of Africa Ministers of Health on the COVID-19 Outbreak

In January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID19 outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), following the rapid increase in confirmed cases globally. To date, COVID-19 has resulted in 80,000+ confirmed cases, 2,700+ deaths in 27+ countries globally. While there is only one confirmed case in Africa so far, COVID-19 poses a great threat to the continent given Africa’s close linkages with China and its relatively fragile health systems. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is well positioned to support Member States in their preparedness and response to COVID-19, by leveraging its assets across the continent: Africa CDC’s Headquarters and Regional Collaborating Centres (RCCs), the African Union political, policy, and advocacy systems, National Public Health Institutes, laboratory networks for influenza and pathogen genomics, and academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, and private sector partners.