The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has been selected to represent regional health organisations worldwide in a major effort to redesign how the world responds to health emergencies, marking a significant expansion of Africa's influence in global health governance.
Africa CDC Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya will represent regional health institutions on the Joint Task Force on Global Health Architecture Reform, a member state-led process examining whether the current global health system is equipped to respond to increasingly complex health threats.
The appointment follows nominations from several regional health organisations and was formally confirmed by the World Health Organization. It places an African institution at the centre of discussions that could shape the mandates, financing and coordination mechanisms of global health bodies for years to come.
The task force was established following decisions of the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly and the UN80 Initiative. Its recommendations will be considered by the Eightieth World Health Assembly and are expected to address three critical areas: the roles and capacities of global health actors, coordination and decision-making structures, and financing for global health priorities.
For Africa CDC, however, the role extends beyond representing the continent.
“We receive this recognition with humility and with a clear understanding of the responsibility it carries,” Kaseya said. “Our first responsibility is to bring forward the priorities and perspectives of our 55 African Union Member States, while engaging other regional institutions to ensure that their voices are heard.”
The appointment comes as African governments increasingly push for reforms that shift global health governance away from highly centralised systems towards models that give countries and regional institutions greater authority.
Africa's position has been shaped by recent public health emergencies, including COVID-19, Ebola and mpox, which exposed inequalities in access to vaccines, diagnostics, financing and other critical health resources.
Africa CDC has argued that future reforms must place countries at the centre of decision-making while strengthening regional institutions that possess closer knowledge of local health systems and disease risks.
Its participation will be guided by the African High-Level Ministerial Committee on Global Health Architecture Reform, launched by African ministers in April 2026 to coordinate a common continental position on the future of global health governance.
Kaseya will also consult regional health organisations beyond Africa, positioning the institution as a bridge between regional bodies seeking greater recognition within the international system.
“The responsibility entrusted to Africa CDC extends to listening carefully to our sister regional health organizations and ensuring their perspectives are reflected at the table,” Kaseya said.
The significance of the appointment lies not simply in Africa gaining another seat in a global forum, but in the continent helping shape the architecture itself.
Article by Jed Mwangi
Photo courtesy:Google
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