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ADDIS ABABA – Faced with what it describes as an “unprecedented surge” in public health emergencies, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) issued an urgent call this week for African nations to bolster their domestic health financing mechanisms.
The appeal came on Thursday with the release of two significant reports: the Africa CDC Annual Report 2024 and “Africa’s Health Financing in a New Era.” Both documents paint a picture of recent public health gains threatened by emerging challenges and critical funding gaps across the continent.
Data presented highlights a stark reality: disease outbreaks jumped by 41%, from 152 incidents recorded in 2022 to 213 by 2024. This increase is putting immense pressure on fragile health systems and revealing serious vulnerabilities in the continent’s ability to respond effectively.
A major concern outlined in the reports is the escalating financial crisis within Africa’s health sector. This is significantly driven by an anticipated 70% drop in official development assistance between 2021 and 2025. The situation is further complicated by Africa’s heavy dependence on external sources for essential supplies; over 90% of vaccines, medicines, and diagnostic tools are imported, leaving the continent susceptible to global supply chain disruptions.
The health financing report delivers a stark warning: without swift corrective actions focusing on domestic funding, Africa risks rolling back two decades of progress in public health. This could potentially lead to an additional 2 to 4 million preventable deaths each year and could push up to 39 million more people into poverty by 2030 due to the combined effects of health and economic shocks.
Despite the grim outlook, the Africa CDC’s annual report also detailed the agency’s achievements across six priority areas. These include strengthening health systems, promoting local manufacturing capabilities, improving disease surveillance and early warning systems, enhancing national public health institutes, upgrading laboratory networks, and boosting emergency preparedness and response.
The agency noted its key role in tackling major public health crises during 2024, including widespread mpox outbreaks affecting over 20 countries, the response to Marburg virus in Rwanda, and managing cholera outbreaks across 15 nations.
Ultimately, the Africa CDC stressed that developing local solutions and securing stronger domestic investments are fundamental to building resilient health systems capable of withstanding current pressures and future shocks.
Disclaimer: This news article is based on information provided regarding reports released by the Africa CDC on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025 (assuming the Thursday prior to the current date context). The data points and projections cited are drawn directly from the summarized information.
