Attachments
Countries across the Region struggled to manage outbreaks of cholera and diphtheria, while deepening humanitarian crises in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, northern Ethiopia, the Greater Horn of Africa, and the Sahel strained the capacity of some of the Region’s most fragile health systems.
Against this challenging backdrop, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa made significant strides in strengthening its emergency preparedness and response (EPR) capabilities and those of the Member States, helping to reinforce regional and global health security. WHO Regional Office for Africa also supported Member States to respond to the multiple and concurrent health emergencies thereby saving lives.
WHO Regional Office for Africa marked several major achievements in Q4. The operationalization of the Senegal Regional Emergency Hub greatly enhanced the logistical capabilities supporting EPR in the Region. The Senegal Hub joins the Kenya Hub as a critical component of the Region’s strategy to ensure timely dispatch of essential supplies and support to affected areas. Meanwhile, the training of an additional 249 African Volunteer Health Corps (AVoHC)-SURGE members brought the total number of responders to 1348, almost halfway to the goal of 3000. In addition, a five-year regional strategic plan for Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs) that sets an ambitious target of establishing functional PHEOCs in 90% of the Regional Office for Africa Member States by 2027 was launched.
The ongoing efforts to strengthen the Region’s integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) capabilities continue to yield important gains. During the quarter, 59% of the new public health events were detected within seven days of onset, underscoring the regional health system’s improving ability to rapidly identify and respond to emerging threats.
The expansion of an innovative artificial intelligence project designed to predict cholera outbreaks was an especially exciting development during the quarter. By utilizing machinelearning algorithms to analyse time-series data, this technology could enable new proactive interventions and accelerate response efforts.
WHO Regional Office for Africa’s achievements are underpinned by the unwavering support and collaboration of the Member States, international partners, and the WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). As we mark the start of a new year, WHO Regional Office for Africa remains committed to building resilient and agile EPR infrastructure that integrates and enhances the capabilities and resources of the Member States. By leveraging the support of its partners, the WHO African Region will continue to confront the complex health threats in the Region and work tirelessly to safeguard the wellbeing of its people.