Participants attend the launch of a regional health project in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, May 15, 2024. (Photo by Charles Onyango/Xinhua)
African countries on Wednesday launched an ambitious initiative to help African countries deal with health emergencies that have escalated on the continent due to climate change.
NAIROBI, May 16 (Xinhua) — African countries on Wednesday launched an ambitious initiative to help African countries deal with health emergencies that have escalated on the continent due to climate change.
The US$1 billion Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience (HEPRR) program for Eastern and Southern Africa is expected to transform the public health response.
Kenya’s Ministry of Health Secretary Susan Nahumitsa said the launch of the World Bank-backed project will strengthen the continent’s response to infectious diseases and other public health threats.
According to Nakhumicha, communicable diseases such as Ebola, Marburg, yellow fever and chikungunya have put pressure on Africa’s health systems and compromised the delivery of quality services.
Nakhumicha urged governments to strengthen response and resilience through public health surveillance, production of pharmaceuticals and vaccines, and building resilience to climate-related risks.
Keith Hansen, the World Bank’s country director for Kenya, urged African countries to redouble their efforts to prepare for disease outbreaks, adding that domestic vaccine manufacturing would strengthen the response to health emergencies.
Yoswa Dambisya, director-general for the Eastern, Central and Southern African Health Community, said part of the funding would be used to start domestic vaccine production on the continent.
Workneh Gebeyehu, executive secretary at the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, speaks to officials in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, May 15, 2024. (Photo by Charles Onyango/Xinhua)
Workneh Gebeyehu, executive secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, an East African bloc, said the launch of the initiative is timely because it will help the region recover from the negative health and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Gebeyehu added that the seven-year program will build on the experiences the continent has gained from fighting the COVID-19, cholera and Ebola epidemics.
The first phase of the US$359 million project will be implemented in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sao Tome and Principe, while the second phase will cover Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Malawi, while the The third phase will cover Angola, Somalia and Tanzania. β