first continental Biosafety Level 3 laboratory is being established, and genomic sequencing has expanded to 44 countries, enabling real-time outbreak tracking. National public health institutes have nearly doubled to 25, with 19 more under development – anchoring preparedness and response in home-grown institutions. These systemic advances are reinforced by new tools for equity and sustainability. The African Pooled Procurement Mechanism ensures Africa will never again have to beg for life-saving tools. The Africa Epidemic Fund provides a sustainable financing base for preparedness and response. They are supported by investments in a skilled workforce and modern data systems. Africa has also pioneered new ways of managing emergencies. Empowered by a strong political and technical mandate, Africa CDC declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security. We established the Incident Management Support Team, co-led with the World Health Organization, with 25 countries and 29 partners under one plan, one budget, one framework and one implementation model. This platform now coordinates the multi-country cholera response. A strong, self-reliant Africa makes the entire globe safer in today’s interconnected world. FINANCING THAT MATCHES THE AMBITION Ambition without financing is only a slogan. That is why Africa is blending stronger domestic resources and aligning external support with national plans and innovative finance to attract private investment. Health is not a liability; it is an investment. Healthy populations are the foundation of productivity, stability and growth. Every dollar invested in health yields dividends in resilience and prosperity. Our Africa Epidemic Fund, as a predictable, rapid-response instrument, will disburse quickly against clear triggers, publish who receives funds and why, and uphold fiduciary integrity through the African Union’s financial controls and independent audits. Regions must have existing funding – not rely on ad hoc charity. A ROADMAP ROOTED IN REGIONS Global declarations do not detect outbreaks in rural clinics, deploy rapid response teams or build trust with local leaders. It is the work of regional institutions like Africa CDC to make global promises become practical action. We translate commitments into capacity and ensure financing, the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator, the APPM and our continental preparedness plans are not aspirations – they are blueprints in action. that no member state stands alone. The Lusaka Agenda on sustainable
I envision a future with Africa’s health security woven into our economic and social transformation. Where investments in public health laboratories also mean jobs, innovation and trade. Where young African scientists, digital entrepreneurs and community health workers stand on an equal footing with their peers across the world. The global health architecture must become a system of shared security. Every outbreak contained in Africa is an outbreak prevented for the world. Every innovation scaled on our continent strengthens global defences. To achieve this, we need courage – from global partners to trust regional leadership and African governments to put health financing at the heart of sovereignty. It takes courage to accept that equity is not charity, but enlightened self-interest. CHOOSING A STRONGER FUTURE I know this future is possible because I have seen innovators creating diagnostics in record time, ministers rallying in unity and leaders committing to finance Africa CDC directly. Reimagining the global health architecture is not an academic exercise. It is survival and solidarity. For Africa, it means refusing to wait at the end of the queue for compassion. For the world, it means recognising that our destinies are inseparably linked. I extend an invitation for partnership. Let us build a system no longer fragmented and fragile, but federated, fair and fit for the future. Let us centre regional institutions as engines of resilience. Let us place Africa at the core of global health security. If we succeed, when the next pandemic arrives, history will remember that we built a foundation strong enough for all humanity to stand upon. ▪
“ Health is not a liability; it is an investment. Healthy populations are the foundation of productivity, stability and growth”
JEAN KASEYA Jean Kaseya is the first director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. A Congolese medical doctor with degrees in epidemiology and community health, he has over 25 years of experience in public health. Prior roles include nine years with UNICEF, two years with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as well as work with the World Health Organization leading the development of the Meningitis A investment case and as a senior adviser for emergency response. He has also been senior adviser to the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, head of routine immunisation with the National Expanded Programme on Immunization and chief medical officer. X-TWITTER @AfricaCDC africacdc.org
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Health: A Political Choice – The Future of Health in a Fractured World
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