The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called on African leaders to implement innovative financing mechanisms and ramp up domestic investment in public health, warning that failure to act could undo years of progress and lead to catastrophic health and economic consequences for the continent.
In a statement released on Friday, January 31, the Africa CDC highlighted an alarming increase in health emergencies across the continent.
The number of outbreaks surged from 153 in 2022-2023 to 242 in 2024, raising concerns about the potential for another pandemic to emerge from Africa.
These challenges are compounded by a global shift in priorities, with wealthy nations increasingly turning inward and reducing development assistance.
Notably, the United States recently announced a 90-day pause in foreign aid, exacerbating the crisis.
Without urgent intervention, the Africa CDC projects that the continent could face a significant reversal in health gains, with morbidity and mortality rates potentially returning to levels seen in the early 2000s.
This could result in an estimated two to four million additional deaths per year from preventable and treatable diseases.
The human cost of such a setback would be staggering, with Africa potentially losing billions of dollars annually and an additional 39 million people being pushed into poverty.
“Africa is facing an unprecedented convergence of crises that threaten to undo decades of progress in health security,” the statement read. “This is not just an African crisis—it is a global crisis in the making.”
In response to the challenges posed by the reduction in international aid, Africa CDC Director-General, Dr. Jean Kaseya, took immediate action by engaging with the U.S. administration and advocating for a waiver on humanitarian aid. His efforts led to the successful continuation of life-saving interventions. However, the Africa CDC warned that this was just one battle and that African leaders must act decisively to protect their populations.
“We must implement innovative financing mechanisms and increase domestic investment in public health,” Dr. Kaseya said.
“This moment should serve as a wake-up call for African leaders to take control of their health futures.”
The statement also emphasised the critical need for peace and stability in regions facing severe health challenges.
One of the most urgent examples of this is the ongoing crisis in Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where insecurity and mass displacement have contributed to widespread health emergencies, including the deadly mutation of the Mpox virus. The epidemic has already claimed thousands of lives, particularly among children and young people, and is spreading rapidly across 21 African countries.
The Africa CDC has worked tirelessly to secure vaccines and essential health supplies for Goma and the broader eastern DRC, but ongoing conflict has made it impossible to deliver these life-saving resources to those in need.
Dr. Kaseya issued a stark message to African leaders: “To my fellow African leaders: End this unnecessary war. If you fail to act, it will not be bullets that kill us—it will be major outbreaks and pandemics emerging from this region, sparing no one while devastating economies and businesses. Our collective survival depends on urgent and decisive action. Let us end this war. Let us choose peace. Let us choose life.”
The Africa CDC’s plea underscores the growing urgency for African governments to take a proactive approach to public health, increase investment in local health systems, and ensure the stability necessary to combat the looming health crises threatening the continent’s future.
