Korede Abdullah
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the 77th World Health Assembly to expand their partnership to strengthen epidemic and pandemic prevention, preparedness and response in Africa.
This was made known in a press statement posted on Africa CDC’s website on Tuesday.
The two organizations are prepared to collaborate to boost regional vaccine research, development, and sustainable manufacturing leadership and capabilities in Africa, fostering a faster and more equitable response to emerging infectious diseases.
“The New Public Health Order calls to action to build resilient health systems capable of managing recurrent, high-impact infectious disease and outbreaks; an action-oriented partnership such as this is at the core,” said Dr. Jean Kaseya, Africa CDC’s Director General.
“This collaboration with CEPI in research, clinical trials, and local manufacturing of medical countermeasures will elevate Africa’s readiness against outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics, thus consolidating the continent’s preparedness far beyond where we were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
According to CEPI’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard , African leadership and capabilities would be key for ensuring the continent respond to increasingly frequent infectious disease outbreaks.
“The preparatory work to manage these outbreaks—from greater vaccine manufacturing capacity to clinical trial readiness—must be undertaken now. CEPI stands ready to support Africa CDC in the realisation of these goals and to further strengthen Africa’s preparedness and resilience against future outbreaks.”, Hatchett said.
The organisations also planned to collaborate to enhance vaccine safety protocols, biosecurity, pathogen surveillance, investment in capacity building, and other areas that would ensure overall African readiness for emergency vaccine responses.
“Africa CDC and CEPI are committed to this cooperation, which will strengthen collaboration and deliver tangible results to deliver Africa’s long-term health security ambitions,” the CDC’s press statement concluded.
