URI-Africa appreciates the African Union’s adoption of an initiative to set up a Pan-African Center for Disease Control, decided at the sidelines of the 27th Summit of the African Union (AU) in Kigali, Rwanda.
The initiative was first proposed by Ethiopia and approved by the AU Commission in 2013 at the 22nd ordinary session in Abuja, Nigeria. It aims to fight against pandemics such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, Ebola, and the Zika virus.
The African CDC Coordination Office will be based at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and will provide for Member States to exchange and share medical innovations to help address the health challenges faced by the continent and protect African citizens by giving them health security.
With the establishment of the CDC, the AU will review progress toward implementing transformative reforms in HIV, tuberculosis and malaria epidemics, alongside continued efforts to build resilient health systems and provide universal access to health care.
At the Post-AU ECOSOCC - Global African Diaspora Stakeholder Convention and Outcomes from Sept 30-Oct. 1, 2016, participants from the medical and health fields will discuss viable ways to contribute to the success of the Pan African Center for Disease Control.
