Namibia Launches National One Health Plan
The Namibian government in partnership with Africa CDC officially launched on 19 June, a five-year plan on One Health geared to address shared health threats between animals, humans, and the environment. The Tripartite One Health National Strategy 2024–2028 was developed by the Ministries of Health and Social Services, Environment, Forestry and Tourism, and Agriculture, Water […]
Africa CDC Collaborates with Nigeria CDC to Investigate Heavy Metal Poisoning Outbreak in Sokoto
In March 2024, Nigeria reported cases of suspected heavy metal poisoning in Sokoto State. About a month later, neighboring Zamfara State reported similar incidents, prompting an investigation by the Nigeria CDC on May 20, 2024, which led to the activation of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for an effective response. Heavy metal poisoning occurs when […]
African Scientists Find New Meaning in Genomics and Bioinformatics
From learning to use genome curation tools for depositing sequences on the African and global Pathogen Data Sharing and Archive platform to understanding data quality standards and formats, African scientists are gaining new insights from training courses offered by Africa CDC. In collaboration with the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), National Library of Medicine, […]
Africa CDC Validates New Public Health Informatics Fellowship Curriculum
Africa CDC’s two-year Public Health Informatics (PHI) Fellowship is expected to commence this year as funding becomes available. The fellowship is one track of the Africa Epidemic Services (AES), an elite workforce program designed to support Member States. The final draft of the fellowship curriculum was approved during a workshop held from 11 to 14 […]
Experts Trained to Curb Maternal Mortality in Africa
Ten practicing clinicians from 10 African Union member states have been trained to instruct other experts in reducing maternal mortality across Africa. This five-day Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) course, organized by Africa CDC, took place in Nairobi, Kenya, from June 2-8, following an initial course held last December. Among the ten trainees were […]
Staff Exchange Programmes Foster Competence and Networking for Africa CDC
Staff Exchange Programmes can yield several benefits for institutions. At the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), scientists are experiencing both direct and indirect benefits from such interactions. Some are working on jointly publishing research papers, while others have gained new skills. As part of the staff exchange between Africa CDC and […]
The African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator is a Boon for the Continent
The Gavi Board’s approval of the Gavi Alliance’s new five-year strategy (2026-2030), which focuses on accelerating vaccine coverage, introducing new vaccines, strengthening health systems for equity, and supporting global health security and regional vaccine manufacturing, has given Africa CDC impetus on its quest for local vaccine manufacturing. On 20 June 2024, a high-level event co-hosted […]
Bingwa PLUS Initiative to Empower African Youth in Community Health
An offshoot of the African Union Bingwa Initiative that mobilized Youth Health Advocates (Bingwas) to rally communities and boost vaccination uptake across Africa during COVID-19 will launch a new program in two months. The Bingwa PLUS Initiative plans to empower young Africans by building their capacity to design, resource, and manage community health initiatives. “African […]
Tunisia to Pilot GIS Mapping for Public Health
Tunisia has expressed interest in implementing Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping for laboratory functions among North African countries. This initiative aims to create detailed visual representations of laboratory capacities and capabilities across the country. The candidacy emerged during Africa CDC’s first meeting on GIS mapping for public health with seven North African countries, which included […]
Vaccine Manufacturing Needs a Favorable Environment to Deliver Returns on Investment
After securing crucial financing for vaccine manufacturing development, Africa’s ecosystem needs to be conducive to delivering clear returns on investment, as Dr. Jean Kaseya emphasized to delegates convened for the 2nd Edition of the Global Event on Harnessing Private Sector Engagement for Sustainable Vaccine and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing in Africa, hosted in Nairobi. The meeting from […]