Africa CDC Welcomes AU Recognition of Director General Dr Jean Kaseya for Exceptional Achievement

13 April 2026
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Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Addis Ababa)
press release

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | — Africa CDC welcomes the recognition of its Director General, H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya, by the AU Commission Chairperson, on behalf of African Heads of State and Government, for his exceptional leadership and achievements in advancing Africa's health security.

This recognition reflects a period of institutional transformation and measurable delivery since Dr Kaseya assumed office in 2023, as Africa CDC strengthened operational performance, expanded direct program management, and accelerated support to African Union Member States across health security, emergency preparedness, research, and outbreak response.

Responding to the recognition in a message to staff, Dr Kaseya said: "I receive this recognition with great humility. It reflects the collective commitment, professionalism and hard work that Africa CDC teams bring every day. This achievement is truly ours, and I am deeply grateful for the dedication, resilience and excellence that make our impact possible."

Since 2023, Africa CDC has recorded major institutional and programmatic gains, including:

  • Budget utilization increasing from 34% to 95%;
  • Grant portfolio directly managed by Africa CDC increasing from US$52 million to US$463 million;
  • Active contribution to the mobilization of more than US$40 billion for African Union Member States;
  • Growth in National Public Health Institutes from 19 to 36;
  • Expansion of Public Health Emergency Operations Centers from 15 to 36;
  • Increase in countries with pathogen genomics capacity from 7 in 2020 to 46 in 2026; and
  • Growth from 0 to 48 continental research projects led by Africa CDC.

These results have underpinned Africa CDC's leadership in responding to major public health threats, including mpox, Marburg virus disease, Ebola and cholera. In August 2024, Africa CDC declared the mpox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), the first use of its expanded mandate to coordinate a unified continental response. That action led to the establishment of a Joint Continental Incident Management Support Team (IMST), co-led by Africa CDC and WHO, bringing together more than 28 partners under one unified plan, one budget, and one monitoring framework. Through this coordinated mechanism, Africa CDC and its partners strengthened surveillance, laboratory systems, case management, infection prevention and control, vaccination, risk communication and community engagement, and cross-border coordination in support of affected Member States.

Looking ahead, Africa CDC continues to strengthen its technical leadership and strategic capacity through the recent appointment of senior advisors and senior expert specialists across key priority areas, reinforcing institutional delivery and supporting implementation of the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty agenda.

Through AHSS, Africa CDC is advancing a forward-looking vision that positions Africa as a co-architect of the global health architecture, while reinforcing resilience, self-reliance, and sustainable health systems across the continent.

Africa CDC expresses its appreciation to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, African Heads of State and Government, Ministers of Health, partners and communities across the continent for their trust and continued support.

Read the original article on Africa CDC.

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