Africa is facing a concerning escalation in public health emergencies, prompting a call to action from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) for enhanced self-reliance in health financing and infrastructure development. The appeal, rooted in mounting data from across the continent, reflects the agency’s broader strategic agenda to secure Africa’s health future amid dwindling international support and deepening health system fragility.
According to the recently released Africa CDC Annual Report 2024 and the companion document, Africa’s Health Financing in a New Era Report, Africa is currently experiencing what the agency describes as an “unprecedented surge” in public health emergencies. In just two years, the number of recorded disease outbreaks has risen by 41 per cent, from 152 in 2022 to 213 by early 2024. This sharp increase has placed enormous stress on national health systems, many of which were already operating under considerable strain.
This surge, the agency notes, exposes entrenched vulnerabilities and threatens to undermine decades of public health progress across the continent. The Africa CDC has warned that unless bold and immediate action is taken, up to four million preventable deaths could occur each year, with as many as 39 million additional Africans pushed into poverty by the end of the decade. The prospect of such compounded health and economic shocks necessitates urgent structural reform.
One of the most significant challenges highlighted is the decline in external funding. Official development assistance (ODA) to the continent’s health sector has fallen dramatically—by an estimated 70 per cent between 2021 and projected figures for 2025. This downward trend represents a critical threat to public health security, particularly given the continent’s extensive dependence on foreign sources for health products. Presently, over 90 per cent of Africa’s vaccines, diagnostics, and medicines are imported, leaving the continent vulnerable to global supply chain disruptions, as vividly demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In light of these vulnerabilities, the Africa CDC has called on member states to prioritise domestic financing mechanisms. This shift would involve not only increasing national budget allocations to health, but also enhancing fiscal policy frameworks and exploring innovative financing tools tailored to African contexts. According to the Africa CDC, strengthening domestic health investment is no longer a strategic option but a vital necessity for sustainability and resilience.
The annual report underscores a range of achievements made in 2024 across six strategic pillars. These include efforts to improve integrated health systems, advance local pharmaceutical manufacturing, strengthen laboratory networks, and bolster national public health institutes. The Africa CDC also emphasised the expansion of early warning systems and epidemiological surveillance networks, alongside targeted initiatives aimed at strengthening emergency preparedness and response.
Throughout 2024, the Africa CDC played an instrumental role in coordinating responses to a number of severe public health threats. It supported the containment of a widespread mpox outbreak that affected over 20 countries across the continent, and worked closely with national authorities in Rwanda to respond to cases of Marburg virus disease. Furthermore, the agency was active in assisting 15 countries dealing with cholera outbreaks, providing technical, logistical and strategic support.
The dual reports also reflect the Africa CDC’s evolving role as a linchpin in continental health security architecture. Since its establishment in 2017 under the auspices of the African Union, the agency has sought to shift Africa’s health paradigm from reactive to preventive, with an emphasis on ownership, preparedness and sovereignty. The organisation’s current strategy includes fostering regional production capacity for health commodities, which is seen as a crucial step toward reducing dependence on external partners.
At a time when geopolitical and economic pressures are reshaping the global health landscape, the call from Africa CDC carries particular urgency. The agency has cautioned that relying predominantly on external actors is unsustainable and insufficient to meet Africa’s growing health demands. Instead, an Africa-led, Africa-financed health system is essential to manage emerging risks and mitigate long-term socioeconomic consequences.
Policymakers are being urged to act decisively. The reports advocate for strong leadership and commitment at national and regional levels to translate these strategies into action. Key recommendations include investing in community-based primary healthcare, leveraging digital innovation for disease surveillance, and fostering collaboration across sectors to build robust public health infrastructure.
The reports are also a sobering reminder of the interconnectedness of health and economic development. Health shocks have the capacity to reverse gains in poverty reduction, disrupt education, and impede industrial growth. Conversely, investment in resilient health systems yields dividends not only in lives saved but in productivity and societal stability.
As Africa continues to navigate a complex matrix of health threats—from infectious disease outbreaks to the impacts of climate change on disease patterns—the imperative for homegrown solutions becomes ever more evident. The Africa CDC’s call to action is both timely and necessary, urging African nations to take the lead in shaping their own health futures with sustainable, resilient, and inclusive systems.
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