PAHO and Africa CDC strengthen collaboration to address access to essential medicines and vaccines – PAHO/WHO

Washington DC, USA, September 20, 2024 – The Pan American Health Organization today signed an agreement with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to collaborate on equitable access to vaccines, medicines, and other strategic health technologies. Within the framework of the shared vision, the two organizations will leverage their respective competencies, including through PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds, to strengthen regional regulatory, innovation, and production mechanisms, and contribute to the development of the African pooled procurement mechanism and the promotion of local manufacturing of essential medicines, vaccines, and public health supplies for Africa and the Americas.

The organizations will also collaborate to promote research, innovation and digital transformation of health systems to respond to current and emerging public health challenges, as well as to improve prevention, preparedness and response to health emergencies.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, “our goal is to create a more resilient Region,” said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of PAHO during the opening session of the visit on September 18. This includes “increasing regional manufacturing capacities and providing innovations to our Member States that will advance the Region’s goal of decreasing reliance on a global response in critical emergencies or future pandemics.” “We hope that this exchange meeting will enhance our collective experience and strengthen our efforts to address the public health needs of our respective regions,” he added.

“Today marks a new chapter in the partnerships between our two regions, Africa and the Americas. United by our shared missions of supporting our respective Member States to strengthen health systems and respond to emergencies, Africa CDC and PAHO look forward to a strategic collaboration for global health security,” said Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC. “PAHO’s knowledge and experience in operationalizing pooled procurement mechanisms will greatly benefit Africa CDC in our efforts to implement the decision of African Heads of State and Government to establish the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM) to improve access to affordable, quality health products and promote localization of manufacturing,” he added.

The signing followed the first official visit of a high-level delegation from the Africa CDC to PAHO headquarters in Washington DC from September 18-20. The visit also included a discussion on the Partnerships for Vaccine Manufacturing in Africa (PAVM)an initiative established by the African Union in 2021 to enable the African vaccine manufacturing industry to develop, produce and supply more than 60 percent of the total vaccine doses needed on the continent by 2040. Discussions also addressed collaboration to strengthen and grow South-South cooperation to address health challenges and leverage the opportunities offered by both regions.

During the meeting, PAHO experts shared their knowledge and experiences, including on the evolution and implementation of the PAHO Regional Revolving Funds. Topics such as demand consolidation, planning and forecasting, quality and logistics, as well as the importance of strengthening regional regulatory and production strategies were also discussed.

Africa CDC also briefed PAHO on the current continental Mpox response plan, including collaborative efforts with partners to prevent deaths and facilitate access to life-saving vaccines.

The organizations also discussed ways to further foster collaboration on broader strategic priorities in both regions to fulfill their mutual mission of improving and safeguarding health.

“Africa CDC looks forward to this cooperation and mutual learning from both regions to achieve better health outcomes in Africa and the Americas,” said Dr. Kaseya.

“We are very interested in exploring the opportunities that this collaboration presents,” said Dr. Barbosa. “Together we can achieve important advances in public health and ensure equitable access to health technologies for all.”

About the partners

Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is a continental autonomous public health agency of the African Union that supports Member States in their efforts to strengthen health systems and improve surveillance, emergency response, and disease prevention and control.
Learn more about Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and connect with in LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

PAHO

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) works with the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of their populations. Founded in 1902, it is the oldest international public health organization in the world. It acts as the WHO Regional Office for the Americas and is the specialized health agency of the inter-American system, the Organization of American States.

Press Contacts

Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention – Margaret Edwin – Director of Communications and Public Information | Tel: +251 986 632 878 | Email: edwinm@africacdc.org

PAHO – Press contacts: mediateam@paho.org