Getting Youth a Space at the Table in Global Health Governance
A few students at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health in March 2020 pitched the idea of the International Working Group for Health System Strengthening (IWGHSS) as part of a competition.Their idea was chosen as the best in the competition, and later, connections were made with other World Health Organization (WHO) regions and institutions. Today, the IWGHSS, a youth-led global network […]
The Road to Secure Biological Sample Transportation in Central Africa
When COVID-19 hit the Central African Republic in 2020, the state’s ability to deliver essential services was limited. Much of the Central African Republic was, and still is, highly inaccessible. Physical access to health facilities was constrained by the lack of roads — whether dirt or paved. Access to electricity stood at 8 per cent nationally and only 2 per cent outside Bangui, the […]
Plan for Dashboard Mapping Africa’s Health Supply Chain
A well-functioning supply chain is the backbone of any health system. Yet across Africa, insufficient infrastructure, fragmented logistics, and limited access to real-time data often delay the delivery of essential health products, including vaccines, diagnostics, medicines, nutrition supplies, and emergency kits. In response, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and UNICEF have joined forces under […]
Home-Based Care: A COVID-19 Era Strategy Helps Fight Mpox
As mpox continues to affect communities across 26 African countries, health officials are turning to familiar strategies to manage the caseload. One such approach, home-based care, is being adapted from the COVID-19 response, offering a practical solution where hospital isolation capacity is limited. While the method helps ease pressure on health facilities, experts emphasise the need for strong oversight […]
Solar-Powered Refrigerators Keep Vaccines Safe in Rural Uganda
What began as a massive expansion of cold chain space required to accommodate both COVID-19 vaccines and routine immunisation programmes continues today. Now, it is curbing high levels of vaccine wastage, empowering communities, and enabling Africa – particularly Uganda – to withstand current and future health challenges. In 2021, faced with the possibility of receiving up to […]
Eliminate Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B by 2030
The mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and the hepatitis B virus remains a serious public health threat. Millions globally are living with HIV, with a significant proportion in Africa. Over 91 million Africans are affected by hepatitis, contributing to 1.2 million infections and 125,000 deaths in 2029 alone. When the inaugural Triple Elimination Conference (TEC) in Africa took place from 21–23 July […]
Raising a New Cohort of Epidemiologists in West Africa
Graduates sang and clapped as they celebrated reaching a personal milestone. They were embarking on a new journey as the next generation of mental health leaders in West Africa. After nine months of rigorous classroom and field training, fellows from Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali and Niger became the pioneers of the Subregional Intermediate Field Epidemiology Training Programme […]
Risk-ranking Exercise Approves 25 Priority Diseases in Central Africa to Boost Health Security
Central Africa has approved 25 priority diseases for targeted prevention, detection, and response in a major step towards stronger epidemic preparedness. Africa CDC in partnership with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) developed the list—covering threats such as viral hemorrhagic fevers, measles, dengue, cholera, yellow fever, mpox, and meningitis through a rigorous […]
Africa’s New Cholera Plan: Darfur Crisis Shows Why Peace and Multisectoral Action Are Essential
Sudan’s Darfur region is grappling with a deadly cholera outbreak amid a complex humanitarian crisis marked by heavy rains, mass displacement, fragile water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, along with limited access to healthcare. New figures from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) show that all five Darfur states have reported […]
Strong Public Engagement in Africa’s Mpox Fight – But Gaps Persist
A year after mpox was declared a continental health threat, Africa’s response has shown encouraging momentum. An interim analysis of a new study by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reveals strong public engagement, with above-average vaccine acceptance across all surveyed countries and firm trust in health information shared via television, […]