Profoh welcomes the United States & African Union Agreement to create the African CDC

The United States and the African Union signed an agreement on Monday to create the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation formalizing the collaboration between  the African Union Commission and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The West African Ebola epidemic reaffirmed the need for a public health institute to support African ministries of health and other health agencies in their efforts to prevent, detect and respond to any disease outbreak,” CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said in a statement.

The African CDC is to be launched  later this year with the opening of a surveillance and response unit, which will provide technical expertise and help coordinate response to health emergencies. CDC will send two public health experts to  serve as long-term technical advisers to the African CDC. The United States will also support fellowships for 10 African epidemiologists to help staff five regional African CDC coordinating centers which are being established to help monitor disease activity in the continent.

The need for an African  CDC was recognized at the African Union Special Summit on HIV and AIDS, TB and Malaria in Abuja in July 2013. The concept has since moved through various stages of development, stakeholders’ reviews and approvals. The African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (African CDC) will help African  countries effectively monitor public health, respond to public health emergencies, address complex health challenges and build needed capacity.