Nairobi hosts landmark initiative for cross-border disease management

KENYA—Twelve African nations have come together to strengthen cross-border collaboration aimed at preventing, controlling, and responding to infectious disease outbreaks.

This initiative comes amid a concerning rise in mpox cases across the continent, with over 16,398 confirmed infections and 1,180 deaths reported in 22 countries as of February 10, 2025.

Dr. Linda Mobula, a Senior Health Specialist with the World Bank working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), emphasized the urgency of this cooperation.

She pointed out that epidemics do not respect national borders, making it essential to strengthen coordination between neighboring countries.

According to Dr. Mobula, the recently signed agreement is a critical step toward building political will, improving governance, and creating an environment that supports effective disease control measures.

The countries involved in this collaboration include the DRC, Angola, Burundi, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Sudan, Zambia, Kenya, the Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic.

These nations have committed to working closely with development partners, civil society organizations, and health experts from across Africa.

The agreement was formalized during a regional meeting held in Nairobi focused on the Mpox Response and other health emergencies.

This partnership aims to tackle several key challenges. It will improve how countries share data and manage the movement of people affected by outbreaks, helping to reduce the spread of diseases across borders.

Additionally, the agreement is expected to mobilize financial and technical resources to ensure sustainable strategies for responding to mpox and other health threats.

The meeting was convened by the World Bank in collaboration with major health organizations, including the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Their goal was to encourage political engagement, foster technical discussions, and promote cooperation among all stakeholders involved.

Professor Yap Boum II, Deputy Incident Manager for the continental mpox response at Africa CDC, highlighted the key themes of the meeting: innovation, transparency, flexibility, and integration.

He stressed the importance of doing more with fewer resources and noted the growing demand from countries for stronger integration into regional and continental coordination systems to effectively manage outbreaks like mpox.

The response to mpox has been built on several pillars, including surveillance, laboratory testing, clinical care, vaccination, research, risk communication, sustainable funding, policy alignment, and capacity building.

These topics were thoroughly discussed during the two-day meeting, underscoring the comprehensive approach needed to tackle the outbreak.

Dr. Otim Patrick Ramadan, Acting Regional Manager for Emergency Response at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, reiterated that the regional nature of the mpox outbreak requires a collective solution.

He described the Nairobi meeting as not only a platform for sharing knowledge but also a catalyst for joint action.

Dr. Ramadan expressed optimism about continuing collaboration with member states and partners to build on progress and address ongoing challenges.

Participants in this important event included representatives from the World Bank, IOM, UNICEF, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Global Fund, and the East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community, among others.

This united effort marks a hopeful step forward in Africa’s fight against mpox and other emerging health threats, demonstrating the power of regional cooperation in safeguarding public health.

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