By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The Africa Centres for
Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has held high-level discussions
with Libya’s Ministry of Health aimed at strengthening regional health security
cooperation and advancing joint preparedness initiatives across North Africa.
The engagement took place on
the sidelines of the Africa Health ExCon, where Africa CDC Director General Dr.
Jean Kaseya met with Libya’s Minister of Health, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Alghouj.
Discussions focused on
enhancing Libya’s role in regional health security, including the potential
development of a Libya CDC as a regional Centre of Excellence and the
operationalization of the North Africa Regional Coordinating Centre (RCC).
Both parties also explored
collaboration in key priority areas such as local manufacturing of health
commodities, pooled procurement mechanisms, and Libya’s contribution to
continental emergency response efforts, including support for Ebola response
operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Dr. Kaseya congratulated the
Libyan Health Minister on his confirmation in office and commended Libya for
hosting a recent North Africa exchange visit, describing it as an important
step in strengthening regional cooperation and knowledge sharing.
Africa CDC reaffirmed its
commitment to supporting Libya in strengthening core public health systems,
including emergency preparedness, disease surveillance, laboratory capacity,
workforce development, and cross-border coordination.
Officials emphasized that
strong national institutions and coordinated regional leadership remain central
to advancing Africa’s health security agenda.
The discussions reflect
ongoing efforts to build continental solidarity in addressing public health
threats and improving resilience across African health systems.
