Africa's Health Narrative Radiates Hope and Solidarity, Says Africa CDC Director-General

Addis Ababa, February 27, 2026 (ENA) –Africa's health narrative radiates hope, solidarity, and relentless momentum, Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya said. 

During a press briefing on Thursday, the Director-General referenced the 39th AU Summit's emphasis on health sovereignty.

 Dr. Kaseya on the occasion stressed on visible changes and a strong, unified African perspective that's effectively redefining worldwide health agendas on Africa's own conditions.

 "We are present now with the accuracy. We clearly say we need to move from dependency to a system that is making us accountable, owning our systems," he elaborated, underscoring the continent's transition from aid dependence to self-reliance.

 The Director-General introduced the "5P plus" strategy endorsed by African heads of state.

 This encompasses overhauls to international health structures, Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPPR) deeply integrated into Africa's core, reliable local funding with Equatorial Guinea's ambitious commitments standing out, digital advancements led by Ethiopia, and local production capabilities, capped by a forthcoming special summit.

 He also celebrated Africa CDC's achievements since 2023, noting that the center has managed to move from 34 percent to 95 percent, the highest utilization rate in the AU.

 "We have managed to bring internal funding from 52 million to 463 million. It means Africa's CDC today is a world-class organization making things moving."

 Despite global layoffs, human resources thrived, hitting 85.5 percent of targets early as surveillance shifted from 2022’s red spots to 2025’s green zones, expanding operations centers to 32 and establishing genomic labs continent-wide, he elaborated.

 Outbreaks plummeted to 89 in early 2025, compared to far more undetected cases before, validating resilience efforts.

 According to him, Ethiopia leads in digital health and AI while a new committee of 70 African leaders prepares to champion equitable global partnerships.

 Dr. Kaseya stated that while Africa faces formidable health hurdles—from Mpox and cholera spikes in flood-ravaged regions to carrying 95 percent of the global malaria burden—resilience prevails through Uganda’s swift vaccinations, declining Mpox cases, and significant diagnostic advancements led by Equatorial Guinea and Ethiopia.