The stakeholders analysed measures to forge a new public health order for Africa, beyond the traditional healthcare models
They spoke at the 2023 Conference on Public Health in Africa in Lusaka, Zambia with the theme “Breaking Barriers: Repositioning Africa in the Global Health Architecture.”
The four-day conference taking place from November 27-30 will spotlight cutting-edge research and innovations, and present African-led solutions to public health challenges.
The theme of this year’s conference, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention underscores a fundamental truth that health is not only a matter of medical science but also of policy, equity, and global cooperation.
The Director-General of the Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya said, breaking barriers requires us to think beyond the confines of traditional healthcare models.
“It beckons us to harness technology’s power, embrace equity and social justice principles, and foster robust collaborations that span borders and disciplines. It demands a concerted effort to amplify the voices of the most vulnerable among us.
“It challenges us to look at the barriers that have long impeded Africa’s progress in public health and calls upon us to redefine our position in the global health architecture.
“Together, we can break, and we will break the barriers that have hindered our progress for far too long and we can forge a new public health order for Africa—one that is resilient, equitable, and capable of meeting the challenges of the future,” Dr Kaseya said.
Kaseya added that community, connectivity, capacity, collaboration, and climate are five important principles that can guide leaders in repositioning Africa in the global health architecture.
“Communities are the foundation upon which a healthier Africa will be built. It is disturbing to note that 38 out of the 40 countries with the highest maternal mortality rates are in Africa. This highlights the pressing need to strengthen the resilience of our communities.
“To achieve that, we need to manage the looming crisis with a huge gap of community health workers that Africa is facing. This gap may worsen if the existing community health workers continue to go unpaid and encounter a lack of standardisation,” he said.
The DG said Africa records two new outbreaks per week, totalling more than 100 outbreaks per year, and 75 per cent of the outbreaks are zoonotic in origin and worsened by climate change.”
He stressed that the Africa CDC is committed to supporting African countries to adopt a comprehensive One-health approach to tackle these climate-related challenges.
He said connectivity will enable Africa to bridge geographical gaps, create a network of knowledge and information exchange, and address public health challenges with better efficiency and effectiveness.
He stated that less than 10 per cent of African countries can respond to a major outbreak with a skilled health workforce. Hence, the a need to strengthen Africa’s medical manufacturing capabilities to enhance self-reliance and reduce vulnerability to supply disruptions.
“We have a great opportunity in our hands – to chart a new course, create health systems capable of withstanding the inevitable shocks, and reposition the continent in the global health architecture,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, the Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said he is confident the Africa region will play a pivotal role in the future of humanity’s health over the next century.
Dr Ghebreyesus said the region can break barriers in global health but that political will is required to achieve it.
On his part, the President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, said the role of collaboration in building a resilient public health system cannot be overemphasised.
Mr Hichilema said African leaders must develop the habit of collaboration and partnerships to ensure the continent becomes a force to be reckoned with.
“The conference is unique because it talks about health from a holistic point. Health for one, health for families, health for countries, and health for all,” he said.
The CPHIA 2023 Co-Chair and Director of the Institute of Health Research, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Prof Margaret Gyapong said Africa is witnessing an unprecedented leap in health technology innovations.
“From mobile health applications that provide remote consultations and health information, to telemedicine platforms connecting patients with specialized care, technology is bridging the gaps in healthcare access and delivery.
“The Digital Disease Surveillance piloted by Africa CDC in six countries is developing digital surveillance indicators and online disease dashboards based on social media and search engines to inform infectious disease surveillance on the continent, strengthen real-time surveillance of infectious diseases, guide interventions, and build capacity in big data approaches for outbreak prediction, analysis, and prevention,” she said.
To maximise the impact of these innovations, Prof Gyapong said, there must be concerted efforts to scale up successful interventions across the continent. Sharing best practices, replicating successful models, and fostering collaboration is key to ensuring widespread access to these life-saving innovations.
