Ms Edwin said that African heads of state and government recognised Kaseya for the achievement and leadership in advancing health security across Africa.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says it has achieved 95 per cent budget utilisation and expanded its grant portfolio to $463 million under its Director-General, Jean Kaseya.
In a statement issued by its Director of Communication and Public Information, Margaret Edwin, on Monday, Africa CDC said that the achievement reflected a significant institutional growth since 2023.
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Ms Edwin said that African heads of state and government recognised Kaseya for the achievement and leadership in advancing health security across Africa.
She said the recognition underscored a period of institutional transformation and measurable progress since Kaseya assumed office in 2023.
The official said the agency had strengthened operational performance, expanded direct programme management, and accelerated support to African Union member states in key areas, including emergency preparedness, research, and outbreak response.
Achievements
She quoted Kaseya as having reacted to the honour in a message to the agency’s staff, saying that Kaseya described the recognition as a collective achievement.
“I receive this recognition with great humility. It reflects the 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,” she quoted Kaseya as saying.
She highlighted major gains recorded by Africa CDC since 2023, including an increase in budget utilisation from 34 per cent to 95 per cent and a rise in its directly managed grant portfolio from $52 million to $463 million.
Ms Edwin noted that the agency also reported active contributions to the mobilisation of over $40 billion for African Union member states, alongside the expansion of public health infrastructure.
According to her, the number of national public health institutes grew from 19 to 36, while the number of public health emergency operations centres increased from 15 to 36.
She added that countries with pathogen genomics capacity rose from seven in 2020 to 46 in 2026, with the Africa CDC leading 48 continental research projects from none previously.
Ms Edwin said the achievements had strengthened the agency’s response to major health threats, including mpox, Marburg virus disease, Ebola and Cholera.
She noted that in August 2024, the Africa CDC declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency, marking the first time it used its expanded mandate to coordinate a unified continental response.
The declaration, Ms Edwin noted, led to the establishment of a Joint Continental Incident Management Support Team, co-led with the World Health Organisation, which brought together more than 28 partners under a unified framework.
She added that, through this mechanism, Africa CDC and partners enhanced surveillance, laboratory systems, case management, vaccination, risk communication, and cross-border coordination in affected countries.
She said the agency was strengthening its technical leadership by appointing senior advisers and experts to drive implementation of the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty agenda.
She said the initiative aimed to position Africa as a key player in the global health architecture while promoting resilience, self-reliance, and sustainable health systems across the continent.
According to the official, the Africa CDC has expressed appreciation to the African Union Commission, African heads of state, African ministers of health, partners, and communities for their continued support.
NAN reports that Kaseya was appointed the Director-General of Africa CDC on 19 February 2023.
He was appointed the first Director-General of the institution by the Assembly of the African Union during its 36th Ordinary Session for a four-year mandate.
(NAN)
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