DAR ES SALAAM, Dec. 23– The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa and the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) have signed a three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) to combat disease outbreaks and improve health systems across the continent.
Speaking Monday at the signing ceremony in Dar es Salaam, WHO Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Janabi said that many African countries face mounting public health challenges amid declining external donor support and recurring outbreaks of infectious diseases, including cholera, Ebola, Marburg and mpox.
Under the MoU, the WHO and ECSA-HC will collaborate to address infectious and non-communicable diseases, climate change-related health risks, and antimicrobial resistance in African countries.
Janabi said Africa continues to grapple with multiple health pressures, including cholera outbreaks in over 15 countries, persistent polio cases in parts of West Africa, and disease risks in refugee camps caused by conflict-related displacement.
Calling for greater self-reliance, Janabi urged African governments to increase domestic health financing and invest in local pharmaceutical manufacturing, noting that more than 85 percent of medicines and 99 percent of vaccines used in Africa are imported.
ECSA-HC Executive Secretary Ntuli Kapologwe said the agreement would help expand access to quality health services and strengthen regional capacity to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
