Improving Africa’s Health Systems Requires Intensive Investment in Human Resources

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a public health agency of the African Union, is leading the charge to improve African health outcomes through its vision of a New Public Health Order for the continent. It is championing initiatives and investments across critical areas of health policy and practice. These include a well-supported workforce; adequate domestic financing; robust technical skills; efficient data management; digital transformation; and reliable regional procurement. Africa CDC’s workforce development programmes provide expert training for various cadres, including policy leaders, epidemiologists, researchers and scientists, laboratory technicians, nurses, and community health workers. Financing health systems in Africa is the foremost concern – the World Bank estimates Africa needs between $2 billion and $3.5 billion a year for epidemic preparedness. 

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