ADDIS ABABA, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The African Epidemic Fund has become operational, providing the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) with flexible funding to support countries across the continent in outbreak preparedness and response.
The new fund is set to be a game-changer, and the Africa CDC will no longer be constrained by bureaucratic hurdles but will have the flexibility to rapidly deploy funds where they are needed most, allowing for faster and more efficient outbreak responses, the Africa CDC said in a statement released on Wednesday.
"This is the vehicle through which we can receive funding without any limitation, without any bureaucracy, to support African countries in preparing for and responding to outbreaks," Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa CDC, was quoted in the statement as saying.
The fund was formally established following a high-level meeting on domestic health financing, a collaborative initiative between the Africa CDC, the African Union (AU) Commission, and the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD.
It arrives at a crucial time as Africa grapples with multiple health crises, including a Marburg outbreak in Tanzania, Ebola in Uganda, and rising cases of cholera and febrile illnesses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the statement said.
The fund will be accessible without the need for approval from any AU organ, giving the Africa CDC more autonomy and agility in outbreak response, Kaseya added.
Transparency will be a cornerstone of the fund's operations, Kaseya said, noting that the Africa CDC will manage the fund directly, ensuring strict accountability.
A governing board will oversee its activities, with regular updates provided to the AU policy organs. Most importantly, the fund's transactions will be publicly accessible, with detailed tracking available to ensure transparency, according to the statement.
