Addis Ababa, Feb 1 The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for "immediate action" to address the "unprecedented convergence of crises" that threaten to undo the decades of progress in Africa's health security.
The Africa CDC said in a statement issued Friday that the number of health emergencies in Africa has been surging over the years. Calling for concerted efforts from African countries and international partners, the Africa CDC expressed concern over the shifting global landscape, which has seen many "wealthy nations turning inward," reducing development assistance to prioritise domestic needs, including the recently announced 90-day pause in US foreign aid.
"The repercussions are dire. Africa CDC projections warn that without urgent intervention, these financial constraints could reverse health gains, pushing morbidity and mortality rates back to the early 2000s levels. An estimated 2 to 4 million additional deaths per year from preventable and treatable diseases could occur," it said.
The continental public health agency underscored that the shifting global landscape must serve as a wake-up call for African leaders to implement innovative financing mechanisms and increase domestic investment in public health.
It also emphasised that conflict and insecurity situations across different parts of the continent are further exacerbating Africa's public health challenges, Xinhua news agency reported.
On Thursday, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya told an online media briefing that the Africa CDC is presently responding to multiple disease outbreaks across the continent. He called for collective efforts to urgently respond and address these disease outbreaks.
Kaseya said the emergence of the Ebola virus in Uganda, which was confirmed by Ugandan authorities Thursday after a 32-year-old man succumbed to the virus in Kampala, the country's capital, and Marburg virus disease in Tanzania "demonstrates the need for prompt, coordinated action, including regional preparedness to contain the outbreaks at source and prevent further spread."
The Africa CDC chief said the Marburg virus outbreak in Tanzania, which was declared on January 20, has so far recorded 10 cases, two confirmed and eight probable, and 10 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 100 per cent.
The African continent is also currently responding to the multi-country mpox outbreak that has affected 21 countries since the start of last year. So far in 2025, mpox cases reported in Africa have surpassed 9,959, as the death toll reached 85, according to data from the Africa CDC.
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