Africa CDC, U.S. gov’t announce joint action plan to advance PHS in the continent

Addis Ababa, November 29, 2023 (FBC) – On November 28, on the sidelines of the Third International Conference on Public Health in Africa in Lusaka, Zambia, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the U.S. government announced a Joint Action Plan to advance a shared vision to strengthen public health systems and deliver improved health outcomes in Africa.

It is learned that the Joint Action Plan outlines key activities between the Africa CDC and U.S. government to achieve the objectives identified in the Memorandum of Cooperation to Promote Public Health Partnership, signed by African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in March 2022.

According to a joint press release issued by Africa CDC, the Joint Action Plan represents a significant step toward stronger and deeper Africa CDC–U.S. collaboration, building on both Africa CDC and U.S. health investments and partnerships across Africa.

It will also facilitate institutional strengthening, expert exchanges, and knowledge-sharing in support of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Africa CDC Strategic Plan 2023-2027, it was indicated. Additionally, it will promote integrated health systems, strengthen public health emergency response capacity, enhance clinical and laboratory systems, and expand innovation and local manufacturing of health products.

The Africa CDC and U.S. government intend to convene regular meetings of technical experts in Addis Ababa and Washington to operationalize, review, and update this Plan to support shared public health needs and global health security requirements.