THE Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) have announced an extended partnership with particular focus on immunisation of children across the continent.
The partnership further aims to strengthen primary healthcare, supply chain management, pooled procurement and local manufacturing, and emergency response.
The collaboration builds on the 2022-2024 Partnership Framework Agreement between Africa CDC and Unicef, which aims to achieve goals outlined in the African Union Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.
"The partnership will optimise supply chain management, operationalise the pool procurement mechanism for Africa CDC, empower community health workers, and advance local manufacturing. Ultimately, these efforts will strengthen immunisation systems and reduce outbreaks and epidemics on the continent," said director general of Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya during the signing ceremony in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia yesterday.
The two partners stated that over the next four years, Africa CDC and Unicef will collaborate to establish robust institutional backing for supply chain management and enhance pooled procurement mechanisms to fortify Africa's healthcare infrastructure.
Their goal is to ensure timely and adequate access to essential medical supplies for Africa's population.
Kaseya added that the partnership with Unicef, with its shared commitments will enhance primary healthcare and strengthen Africa's health security.
He noted that the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of many healthcare systems and highlighted deficiencies and challenges in medical supply chains, hence developing institutional interlinkages and fostering knowledge transfer is crucial for addressing global health challenges effectively.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Unicef's executive Ted Chaiban said the partnership is a commitment to the well-being of children and their families, affirming their right to health.
"By strengthening our partnership with Africa CDC and the Joint Emergency Action Plan for Africa, we can ensure communities get the support they need without delay," he stated.
Chaiban indicated that the push forward on paid and protected community health workers, and medical supplies made in Africa, for Africans, remains one of the highest priorities. The Namibian government has continuously carried out immunisation campaigns for diseases such as measles, and polio, but that alone cannot keep those diseases at bay as there is a need for industry players like the private sector, social mobilisers, community leaders, parents, caregivers, and vaccinators and institutions like WHO, Africa CDC, Unicef, UNFPA, UNDP to play their part.
