African leaders were urged by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to enhance domestic investment in public health and establish creative financing methods.
Without immediate action, health gains might be undone, returning morbidity and mortality rates to their levels in the early 2000s, the Africa CDC warned.
“Africa is facing an unprecedented convergence of crises that threaten to undo decades of progress in health security,” the center said in a statement on Friday. The likelihood of another pandemic originating in Africa increased as the number of health emergencies increased from 153 outbreaks in 2022–2023 to 242 in 2024. As the world has changed, many rich countries have turned home and cut back on development aid to focus on their own needs. One such example is the U.S. government’s announced 90-day halt on overseas aid.
The consequences are severe. Without immediate action, these financial limitations could undo health improvements and return morbidity and mortality rates to levels seen in the early 2000s, according to CDC forecasts for Africa. It is projected that diseases that are treatable and avoidable could cause an additional two to four million deaths annually. Africa loses billions of dollars every year as a result of this human cost, and an additional 39 million people are thought to fall into poverty. This is a worldwide crisis in the making, not simply an African one.
“The Africa CDC has not kept quiet. As soon as we heard about the U.S. funding freeze, we contacted the government. Our Director General, H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, promoted a waiver for life-saving humanitarian aid on international forums, such as CNN. By obtaining the waiver, our intervention made sure that crucial initiatives go forward. However, this is just one conflict. African leaders must use this as a wake-up call to expand domestic investment in public health and put creative finance systems into place.
It pointed out that although Africa is making efforts to safeguard its citizens, peace is still lacking.
Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is the place where this is most noticeable. This is a serious public health problem rather than merely a security concern. With one of the greatest population densities in the world (39,620 people per square kilometer), Goma is a city of three million people, including one million displaced persons. It lacks basic amenities like water, sanitation, and hygiene, as well as proper health facilities.
The lethal Clade 1b strain of the Mpox virus was created in 2023 as a result of the combination of these harsh circumstances, insecurity, and mass displacement. This strain is extremely sexually transmissible and has already claimed the lives of hundreds of children and adolescents.
Goma turned become the epicenter, dispersing Mpox throughout 21 African nations, including those in the SADC and EAC. It emphasized that these same circumstances have contributed to massive epidemics of cholera and measles, which have killed thousands of people.
It claimed that despite the center’s persistent efforts to procure Mpox vaccines and other vital health supplies for Goma and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the goods cannot reach the mothers and children who most need them in the absence of peace and stability.
“We need safe access, but I’m willing to fly there myself to make sure these life-saving interventions are delivered,” stated Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa CDC. “To my fellow African leaders: Put an end to this needless conflict. If you don’t take action, it won’t be bullets that kill us; rather, it will be severe outbreaks and pandemics that come from this area, killing everyone and destroying businesses and economies. We must act quickly and decisively to ensure our collective survival. Let’s put an end to this conflict. Let’s go for peace. Let’s go with life.
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