The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has sounded the alarm over a looming health funding crisis, warning that without urgent intervention, health gains made over the years could be reversed. The centre has called on African leaders to implement innovative financing mechanisms and increase domestic investment in public health.
According to Africa CDC, the continent is facing an unprecedented convergence of crises, including a surge in health emergencies, from 153 outbreaks in 2022-2023 to 242 in 2024. This raises the risk of another pandemic emerging from the continent. The centre also noted that wealthy nations are reducing development assistance to prioritize domestic needs, including a 90-day pause in U.S. foreign aid.
The repercussions of this funding crisis are dire, with Africa CDC projections warning that without urgent intervention, financial constraints could reverse health gains, pushing morbidity and mortality rates back to early 2000s levels. This could result in an estimated two to four million additional deaths per year from preventable and treatable diseases, translating to massive economic losses and pushing an estimated 39 million more people into poverty.
Africa CDC has urged African leaders to take action, emphasizing that peace remains the missing ingredient in protecting the continent’s people. The centre cited the example of Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where insecurity and mass displacement have fueled the mutation of the Mpox virus, generating a deadly variant that has already killed thousands of children and young people.
To address this crisis, Africa CDC has proposed several measures, including:
Implementing innovative financing mechanisms: African leaders must explore new ways to finance public health initiatives, including partnerships with the private sector and international organizations.
Increasing domestic investment in public health: African governments must prioritize health expenditure in their domestic budgets, ensuring that health systems are adequately resources and resources are used optimally.
Strengthening public health institutions: Africa CDC has called for the strengthening of public health institutions at the continental, regional, and national levels, including the establishment of functional public health emergency operation centers.
Promoting respectful, action-oriented partnerships: Africa CDC has emphasized the need for partnerships that promote country ownership and African health priorities, rather than imposing external solutions.
