EU Commission: agreement and funding to “strengthen Africa CDC’s ability to respond to threats against public health”

Today, the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Ecdc) and the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa Cdc) launched a new initiative, a partnership “to strengthen Africa CDC’s ability to prepare for and respond to threats against public health” in the continent. The EU’s four-year “plan for health security in Africa”, funded by the European Union, “will also facilitate harmonised surveillance and disease intelligence and will support the implementation of the public healthcare workforce strategy of Africa Cdc”. The Vice President of the EU Commission, Margaritis Schinas, stated: “The coronavirus pandemic showed more clearly than ever that health security – a long-term goal in the cooperation between the African Union and the European Union – must remain a global priority. The new partnership between the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and Africa Cdc is a crucial step to achieve this common goal. We are acting now, together, to put an end to this crisis and be ready for any future cluster”. Funded by the European Development Fund, the plan includes an agreement for a 9 million euros’ sum and an additional 1 million euros’ subsidy to Africa Cdc to cover personnel costs. This agreement will come into force on 1st January 2021.
Valentina Bombelli