Ethiopia's Health Center of Excellence Reaching Regional Milestone, WHO Says

Addis Ababa, May 10, 2025 (ENA) --- The World Health Organization (WHO) has congratulated Ethiopia's recent launch of the Public Health Emergency Management Center of Excellence (PHEM-CoE) as a milestone in regional and global health leadership.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with ENA, Patrick Okumu Abok, WHO Team Leader for the Emergency Preparedness and Response Cluster in Ethiopia, emphasized that the initiative demonstrates the country's growing role as a center of excellence in public health emergency management in Africa.

The establishment of Public Health Emergency Management Center of Excellence is not only a milestone for Ethiopia, but for the continent as well. It shows Ethiopia's dedication and capability in leading public health emergency responses, not just at the national level, but at the regional and global levels," he said.

The project was officially launched in the presence of representatives from international and regional organizations, including WHO.

The center aims to enhance health security at national, regional, and global levels through a solid legal foundation, policy facilitation, strategic planning, advanced systems of information management, and emerging technologies.

Abok noted Ethiopia's proven track record of managing outbreaks of infectious diseases such as cholera and measles, and providing support to neighboring countries by deploying Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs), even as far away as Turkey.

"Ethiopia has remained a pace setter in emergency preparedness and response in Africa. WHO believes in Ethiopia's governance and leadership and is privileged to collaborate with Ethiopia to realize world standards of excellence," he noted.

He enumerated Ethiopia's strong commitment to regional health strategies as well as proactive engagement in cross-border cooperation in order to upgrade preparedness and disease prevention levels.

According to Abok, WHO has, supported Ethiopia in this endeavor with technical assistance, strategic guidance, training, and capacity building.

"We have embedded technical experts closely working with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) and will continue to do so for the next three years," he stated.

The recently-launched Public Health Emergency Management Center of Excellence will be functioning from 2025-2027 through critical areas which must be fulfilled in order to qualify as a center of excellence. These areas include leadership and governance, innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable funding.