Opportunities and Optimism at WHO Africa Regional Meeting

As those of us in global public health address the rapid changes happening this year, it was inspiring to hear the energy, ideas, and opportunities presented by leaders across Africa at the WHO Regional Committee meeting (#AFR/RC75) in Lusaka, Zambia, 25-27 August 2025.

Preparedness at the Forefront

I attended my first WHO Regional Committee for Africa in the early 2000s, where discussions about vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) focused on counting cases and how to access vaccines to introduce them into national immunization schedules.

This year, nearly all 47 Member States mentioned vaccine introductions (malaria, hexavalent), work to reach zero-dose children, or responding to VPD outbreaks (e.g., measles and cholera), but the statements also included preparedness planning (cholera and mpox) and the importance of immunization programs working hand-in-hand with emergency preparedness and response (EPR) programs. A few countries highlighted vaccine and diagnostic manufacturing.

 Regional, Data-Driven Solutions for a Paradigm Shift

The theme of unity and “our problems, we must solve them” per Professor Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO Regional Director (RD) for Africa, permeated the meeting with a strong focus on equity, domestic financing, and innovation and data to drive delivery of results. Deepening resilience in the face of geopolitical changes, addressing the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and decentralizing emergency preparedness and response from WHO/AFRO headquarters in Brazzaville to the newly established regional hubs and countries were defined by Dr. Salam Gueye as the three paradigm shifts needed for WHO/AFRO’s emergency preparedness and response strategy in the current resource-constrained context.

While it will take time to create this paradigm shift, progress has already been made. In 2025, to date, WHO/AFRO responded to more than 160 public health emergencies and worked to support countries with their continuity of essential public health functions. They have also trained over 2,300 responders and supported the control of cholera outbreaks in 11 countries, 34 countries completed their second Joint External Evaluation (#JEE), and US$66M was pledged for health security through WHO/AFRO’s Africa Investment Round which mobilized a domestic health financing dialogue.

Country-Led Emergency Preparedness and Response

As vice-chair of WHO/AFRO’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Technical Advisory Group (EPR TAG), I had the opportunity — along with the chair, Dr. Deo Nshimirimana — to meet with Regional Director Janabi and share the recommendations from our recent meeting, which support this evolution to country-led preparedness and response.

Is WHO/AFRO fit for purpose for emergency preparedness and response in the region? This was the question posed by WHO/AFRO which led to the commissioning of a survey of Member States. The findings showed that WHO is a trusted partner and countries value its core strengths in normative guidance and technical support for emergency preparedness and response. As such, Member States would like to see WHO/AFRO coordinate the engagement across sectors and partners for preparedness, advocate for the inclusion of local actors and civil society in responses, and foster coordination of regional and continental partners to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of preparedness and response.

We emphasized that WHO/AFRO and Member States should prioritize human and financial resources for emergency preparedness and response, and WHO/AFRO should support country-led efforts from behind, removing itself from the front lines. Investing in country ownership, capacity, and coordination is crucial at this time of limited resources.

During his remarks at the EPR special session, Deo Nshimirimana reiterated that regional coordination and alignment are non-negotiable. Strengthening Africa’s public health and emergency workforce is central to safeguarding the health security of the continent.

I left the meeting inspired and grateful for the partnerships, motivated to continue our work alongside so many dedicated colleagues in African countries, and remembering Albert Einstein’s words, “in the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.”