The African Union has finally approved the operational framework for the new Africa Epidemics Fund — three years after African heads of state agreed to its creation. The fund will be used to support African countries to prepare and respond to outbreaks.
“This is the vehicle where we can receive funding without any limitation, without any bureaucracy,” Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a press briefing Thursday. “This is amazing.”
Kaseya called this new fund a “game changer” and “a critical step toward health sovereignty” for a continent that’s been working diligently to create stronger internal systems to reduce dependencies on international donors.