Africa stands at a critical juncture as overlapping crises threaten decades of health progress. In 2024 alone, the continent recorded 242 health emergencies, up from 153 the previous year, heightening fears of a new pandemic. At the same time, a global retreat from development aid—exemplified by the U.S. 90-day foreign aid suspension—has deepened vulnerabilities.
The Africa CDC warns that without swift financial and policy interventions, preventable diseases could cause 2 to 4 million additional deaths annually, erase economic gains, and push 39 million more Africans into poverty. Responding to the U.S. funding freeze, Africa CDC’s Director General, Dr. Jean Kaseya, successfully lobbied for a waiver to sustain life-saving humanitarian programs—but emphasizes that Africa must now prioritize innovative domestic financing for public health.
Meanwhile, instability in Goma, eastern DRC, has turned a public health crisis into a humanitarian catastrophe. Overcrowding, poor sanitation, and ongoing conflict have enabled the mutation of the Mpox virus into the deadly Clade 1b variant, alongside severe Measles and Cholera outbreaks. Despite Africa CDC’s efforts to deliver vaccines and supplies, insecurity prevents access to those most in need.
Dr. Kaseya’s urgent appeal to African leaders is clear:
“If you fail to act, it will not be bullets that kill us—but pandemics emerging from this region. Our survival depends on peace, security, and decisive leadership. Let us end this war. Let us choose life.”
