|Published 1:22 PM ET, Saturday March 15, 2025|
On March 11, 2025, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), in collaboration with the African Union Commission and AUDA-NEPAD, officially launched the African Epidemic Fund. This initiative aims to bolster health security across the continent by providing a dedicated financial mechanism for swift and autonomous responses to public health emergencies.
The establishment of the fund comes at a critical juncture, as Africa faces multiple health crises, including outbreaks of Marburg virus in Tanzania, Ebola in Uganda, and increasing cases of cholera and febrile illnesses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Additionally, the mpox outbreak, declared a health emergency by Africa CDC six months ago, continues to pose significant challenges due to rising case numbers and vaccine shortages.
One of the fund’s key features is its accessibility; Africa CDC can utilize the resources without prior approval from any African Union organ, granting the agency greater autonomy in outbreak responses. Transparency is also a cornerstone of the fund’s operations, with real-time financial data available on the Africa CDC website, allowing the public to monitor funding receipts, allocations, and expenditures. africacdc.org
The urgency for such a fund is underscored by a sharp increase in public health events across the continent, rising from 152 in 2022 to 213 in 2024. Challenges like the suspension of U.S. government aid, which disrupted critical outbreak control efforts, further highlight the necessity for Africa to develop self-sustaining funding mechanisms to effectively address ongoing and future health crises.
In light of these developments, the African Epidemic Fund represents a significant step toward enhancing the continent’s capacity to manage and mitigate health emergencies, ensuring a more resilient and self-reliant health security framework for the future.
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