Stakeholders Gather to Strengthen Health Data Governance in Africa
Health data governance—a set of practices and policies designed to manage and control healthcare data throughout its lifecycle, ensuring its accuracy, privacy, security, and accessibility for authorized users —is once again on the political agenda this year. Key decision-makers hope that a harmonised regional approach can help strengthen national frameworks, ensuring alignment and collaboration while […]
Plan to End Cervical Cancer in Africa by 2030
Researchers led by the Africa Centers for Disease Control (Africa CDC) will establish three Centers of Excellence in Rwanda, Morocco, and Zambia to gather evidence and accelerate efforts to end cervical cancer in Africa by 2030. This decision was made during a consultative meeting on cervical cancer elimination, held from November 27-29 in Addis Ababa, with technical partners, […]
Tanzania’s Success to Reduce Maternal Mortality Ushers in a Model for Africa
Tanzania has reduced maternal mortality by 80% in a seven-year period, from 556 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2016 to 104 per 100,000 in 2022. The success is attributable to increased political commitment, an increased number of Emergency Obstetric and Newborn care (EmONC) facilities, a growing health workforce, a strengthened obstetric referral network, capacity […]
Africa’s Progress Towards Sustainable Local Manufacturing Health Products
Africa has made significant progress towards local vaccine and other health products manufacturing—securing funding for manufacturers, improving regulatory instruments and mobilising support to establish local markets—all key to advance health security and self-reliance on the continent. The 2nd Vaccine and Other Health Products Manufacturing Forum in Cairo, convened by the Africa CDC, Gavi, the Regionalized […]
Africa Lists Diagnostics for Priority Diseases
Africa has developed a preferred list to guide efforts in improving access to diagnostics for epidemic-prone diseases on the continent. Mpox, dengue, cholera, bacterial meningitis, and measles are the first set of priority diseases for which priority diagnostics have been shortlisted based on the set criteria outlined in the Target Product Profiles (TPPs). “Specific tests for these diseases will undergo evaluation as part […]
Mpox Vaccination Programme Gets off the Ground in Nigeria
On November 18, 2024, Nigeria launched its mpox vaccination campaign, targeting healthcare workers and individuals with weakened immune systems in hospitals across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Abuja. The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) Executive Director, Dr. Muyi Aina, said the vaccination mostly targeted health workers in facilities with confirmed cases and close […]
Africa Scales-Up Integrated Community Health Worker Programmes
The AU Member States of the African Union Commission and Africa CDC are to develop an African Union Framework to fast-track the implementation of the 2017 decision on Community Health Workers by 2030. The framework will establish a robust accountability mechanism, creating a clear avenue to hold Member States and partners accountable at the highest level. “The […]
Rwanda’s Health Financing Model Offers a Test Ground for Africa
Community Health Worker (CHW) programmes in Africa are often hamstrung by two main problems: dependency on external funding and financial sustainability. By integrating CHWs into its primary healthcare system, Rwanda has institutionalised their role as formal health workers, addressing workforce shortages while addressing remuneration through innovative solutions. Rwanda’s Ministry of Health expanded its community health programme beginning in […]
The African Health Research Agenda Should Focus on Delivering More Health Outcomes
An impact-driven, outcome-guided, priority-based, and ethically conducted health research agenda in Africa urgently needs a standardised approach to health research prioritisation, a pan-African health research workshop that took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from November 21–23, 2024, heard. African-centred health research ethics that respect cultural values and the diversity of the African context, and a continental governance and coordination framework that ensures harmonised […]
Africa’s Plan to Tackle Endemic Diseases Head-on
Africa CDC unveiled a bold new strategy to combat endemic diseases across the continent, marking a pivotal step in the fight against HIV and AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The plan is anticipated to play a critical role in reshaping Africa’s health landscape. More than 50 member states endorsed the strategy at a […]