Women Transform Health Security in Somalia
Somalia’s health system, after years of conflict, still grapples with limited funding and recurrent climate-related crises. In the aftermath, weak surveillance and minimal community-level reporting persist, hampering the detection and response to threats such as cholera, measles and respiratory infections. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), with support from the Korea International Cooperation […]
Nod for Youth’s YES! Health Strategy
African youth are often excluded from health services, governance and leadership at all levels. But this is beginning to change. Africa CDC’s new plan gives visibility and opportunity to the young leaders and changemakers already improving health in their communities. Africa CDC officially launched the Strategy for Youth Engagement and Participation in Global Health (YES! Health) 2025–2028 at the […]
Strides in Integrating Genomics into Existing Public Health Frameworks
Six countries have so far launched their national strategies on genomics in Africa. Ghana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Nigeria have already made strides in integrating genomics into their existing public health frameworks. Eleven countries have finalised their plans and are waiting to launch. These are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, the Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Togo, Mozambique, Rwanda, Namibia, […]
Africa’s New Five-Year Plan for Biosafety and Biosecurity
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has unveiled the Biosafety and Biosecurity Strategy 2026–2030, marking a new era in Africa’s pursuit of safe science, responsible innovation and resilient health security systems. The new strategy builds on the strong foundation of the Africa CDC Biosafety and Biosecurity Initiative (BBI), launched in 2019 […]
Protecting African Communities Through Wastewater Environmental Surveillance
In Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital, scientists at the National Public Health Institute examine cloudy water collected from city drains. These samples hold valuable information for public health. For Professor Isidore Bonkoungou, a bacteriology and virology specialist, this careful work marks the start of a significant change. “We are still in the early stages,” he said, […]
Eswatini Strengthens Epidemic Intelligence with New Event-Based Surveillance Guidelines
As the world continues to grapple with emerging and re-emerging health threats, the Kingdom of Eswatini has taken a decisive step towards strengthening its epidemic intelligence systems with the launch of its National Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) Guidelines. The new framework, developed by the Ministry of Health with support from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and […]
Rift Valley Fever Makes a Comeback in Senegal and Mauritania
It may have begun with the virus becoming active in the local mosquito population, prompted by heavy rains followed by warm weather — ideal conditions for the mosquitoes responsible for spreading the virus. Already present in the region, Rift Valley Fever (RVF) has now been confirmed in Senegal and Mauritania — two West African countries that share […]
Africa CDC and Kenya Agree to Strengthen Strategic Partnership on the New Public Health Order
Kenya’s Ministry of Health and the Africa CDC Eastern Africa Regional Coordinating Centre (EARCC) have agreed to expedite the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) within the next two months. Priority actions include finalising the MoU, developing a joint workplan and performance framework, operationalising the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC), and conducting regional simulation exercises. The agreement, reached following a high-level strategic meeting in Naivasha […]
Mpox Spurs Scientific Revival of Traditional African Medicine
For centuries, African communities have turned to traditional medicine to treat everything from fevers to infections. Yet, despite serving as the first line of health care for millions, these remedies rarely make it into formal medical systems. Lacking standardised processes, clinical trials, and regulatory oversight, most traditional medicines remain confined to informal use, their potential largely unrealised. Often […]
Health Emergency Leaders Network for Africa and Eastern Mediterranean Launched
Africa and Eastern Mediterranean regions’ top health leaders have joined forces to provide resources and expertise to improve health emergency response. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), together with the Kingdom of Morocco, launched the Health Emergency Leaders Network in Rabat, Morocco, in September. The Network brings together, for the first time, health leaders from the […]