The African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and France have signed intent of working together and marking a shared commitment to expand their partnership in public health.
Through this Memorandum, the French development agency, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), will provide a grant amounting to 2.4million euros under two pillars, devoted to supporting Africa CDC’s mandate in Africa’s public health, particularly in emergency preparedness and response.
A first portion of the grant will support the development and strengthening of the Africa CDC Health
Economics Unit (HEU) over a period of two years, through the recruitment of staff and facilitate the
creation of a framework for collaboration in the field of health economics across the continent.
With Africa CDC championing the continental response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need to support the HEU in its areas of work with the expertise required for evidence-based policies
and programs.
The second part of the grant aims at improving COVID-19 vaccination coverage in targeted countries
and strengthening national and regional institutional capacity for addressing health challenges. Since mid-2021, Africa CDC has been supporting vaccination activities across Africa through the Saving Lives and Livelihoods (SLL) program around four pillars: purchasing vaccine doses; supporting the deployment of vaccines; strengthening manufacturing of human vaccines and building institutional capacity.
Under the current MoU and as part of the SLL program, Africa CDC and AFD, in partnership with Amref Health Africa, will invest in locally-led action – including Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) and support national vaccination strategies to intensify vaccination roll out and increase uptake.
Through this Memorandum, Africa CDC and AFD express their commitment towards joining efforts
in helping countries strengthen their public health and laboratory systems. The two organizations
pledged to maintain close collaboration for the achievement of the health and development objectives
of the African Union beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
Africa CDC is the autonomous Public Health agency of the African Union that strengthens the capacity and capability of Africa’s public health institutions as well as partnerships to detect and respond quickly and effectively to disease threats and outbreaks, based on data-driven interventions and programs.
Agence Française de Développement (AFD) implements France’s policy on international development and solidarity. Through its financing of NGOs and the public sector, as well as its research and publications, AFD supports and accelerates transitions towards a fairer, more resilient world.
It also provides training in sustainable development (at AFD Campus) and other awareness raising activities in France. With our partners, we are building shared solutions with and for the people of the Global South. Its teams are at work on more than 4,000 projects in the field, in the French Overseas Departments and Territories, in 115 countries and in regions in crisis.
The agency strives to protect global public goods – promoting a stable climate, biodiversity and peace, as well as gender equality, education and healthcare. In this way, it contributes to the commitment of France and the French people to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The African Union</strong> is a continental body that leads Africa’s development and integration in close collaboration with the 55 Member States, the Regional Economic Communities and African citizens. The vision of African Union is to accelerate progress towards an integrated, prosperous, and inclusive Africa, at peace with itself, playing a dynamic role in the continental and global arena, effectively driven by an accountable, efficient, and responsive Commission.