Africa CDC urges member states to invest in public health emergencies

The Africa Centre for Disease and Prevention Control (Africa CDC), on Wednesday called on member states to learn from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and invest in public health emergencies.

Dr Mohammed Abudulaziz, Head, Disease Control and Prevention at Africa CDC, made this call in an interview with Newsmen in Abuja, on the sidelines of a three-day workshop of Regional Integrated Surveillance and Laboratory Networks (RISLNET) implementation for the West African Region.

RISLNET is a ‘network of networks’ that harness existing public health assets in five African Union members.

It is to strengthen national and regional laboratory and Surveillance systems, improve quality standards and promote networks for integration whilst leveraging the existing assets within the various sub-regions.

The workshop was organised by African Union/Africa CDC and West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO).

Africa CDC established RISLNET for all the African Regions in an effort to address critical need for comprehensive and quality laboratory and surveillance systems and networks within the continent.