Addis Ababa / New York — The Committee of Heads of State and Government (CHSG) of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) convened an Extraordinary Virtual Session on the margins of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80). The meeting was chaired at the highest level of leadership and brought together African Union Member States to deliberate on urgent priorities for Africa’s health security and sovereignty.
Reaffirming Africa CDC’s Mandate
The CHSG reaffirmed Assembly/AU/Dec.924 (XXXVIII) of February 2025, which recognized Africa CDC as the Public Health Agency of Africa, with political, strategic, and technical capacities. Leaders emphasized Africa CDC’s central role in safeguarding the continent’s health, in close collaboration with the African Union Commission, AUDA-NEPAD, AMA, AfCFTA, and other AU organs.
Key Outcomes of the Session
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During deliberations, Heads of State and Government:
Congratulated Africa CDC on progress in implementing Assembly/AU/Dec.880 (XXXVII) on Africa Health Sovereignty and Sustainable Financing, including the rollout of the “Rethinking Africa’s Health Financing in a New Era” framework and the Lusaka Agenda accountability mechanisms.
Applauded the United Kingdom for successfully completing its Due Diligence Assessment of Africa CDC and approving direct funding, marking a historic milestone in Africa CDC’s institutional reforms and fiduciary credibility. The CHSG invited other bilateral and multilateral partners to adopt similar approaches.
Welcomed voluntary contributions by Member States while expressing concern over persisting financing gaps undermining Africa CDC’s mandate, and agreed on the need to mobilize former Heads of State to champion Africa CDC’s fundraising efforts.
Congratulated H.E. Hakainde Hichilema, President of Zambia and AU Cholera Champion, for convening the Emergency High-Level Meeting on cholera and for launching the Continental Cholera Preparedness and Response Plan in Lusaka with Africa CDC and WHO. Leaders called on partners to align their support with this plan to avoid duplication.
Commended H.E. John Dramani Mahama, President of Ghana, for his leadership in advancing Africa’s Health Sovereignty agenda and requested Africa CDC to host the Africa Health Sovereignty Initiative under his guidance.
Urged Member States and partners to accelerate domestic and innovative health financing in line with Africa CDC’s framework and the Accra High-Level Meeting resolutions.
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Called upon the United States of America to remove the African Union and all its organs, including Africa CDC, from its prohibiting list and to work collaboratively through continental and regional mechanisms under the America First Global Health Strategy.
Reaffirmed support for Africa CDC’s leadership in coordinating outbreak response, accelerating the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM), scaling up local manufacturing, and operationalizing the African Medicines Agency (AMA) to advance regulatory harmonization.
Mandated Africa CDC to continue mobilizing unified African positions in global fora, including the replenishments of Gavi, the Global Fund, and the Pandemic Fund, and to lead Africa’s engagement in the implementation of the WHO Pandemic Agreement and the International Health Regulations (2005).
Moving Forward
The CHSG underscored the importance of Africa speaking with one voice in global health governance and reiterated its unwavering support for Africa CDC as the continental public health agency. The meeting concluded with a collective call for stronger solidarity, sustainable financing, and enhanced collaboration to protect Africa’s populations from recurrent and emerging health threats.
