The United States and the African Union Commission signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) that reaffirms commitment to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The MOC deepens the existing partnership between the U.S. CDC and Africa CDC by enhancing cooperation in surveillance, emergency preparedness and response, laboratory systems, information systems, and workforce development.
This agreement is another example of the United States’ commitment to collaboration with the African Union to address key socioeconomic and development challenges in Africa.
The MOC was signed within the framework of the sixth annual U.S.-African Union Commission High Level Dialogue conducted in Addis Ababa at African Union Commission Headquarters yesterday, November 29.
African Union Commission (AUC) Deputy Chairperson Ambassador Kwesi Quartery and Ambassador Tibor Nagy, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, led the U.S. and AUC delegations’ participation in the High-Level Dialogue.
This annual dialogue codifies engagement across four pillars of cooperation: (1) advancing peace and security in Africa; (2) promoting economic growth, trade, and investment; (3) strengthening democratic institutions and good governance; and (4) promoting opportunity and development in Africa.
Officially launched on January 30, 2017, the Africa CDC is a continent-wide public health agency established to safeguard Africa’s health. The United States and the African Union share the conviction that health is vital to development, growth, prosperity, and national security. They re-committed to strengthening health systems that are critical to an effective response to public health challenges faced by all countries.