Africa Center for Disease Control (Africa CDC)
Published
Africa CDC is one of our key partners on strengthening public health institutions and systems.
In 2022, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) and Africa CDC entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening public health institutions and systems in the member states of the African Union (AU). This collaboration is part of the Norad-funded Building Stronger Public Health Institutions and Systems (BIS) program at FHI.
Africa CDC’s Climate Change and Health programme is committed to supporting African Union Member States with evidence-based guidance on building climate-resilient health systems. In our collaborative partnership with Africa CDC, we support the implementation of their Strategic Framework for Climate Change and Health, a comprehensive roadmap that addresses the health impacts of extreme weather events, food insecurity, and shifting disease patterns.
As a dedicated partner to Africa CDC, NIPH supports the implementation of Africa CDC’s strategy on NCDs, injuries and mental health on the continent. Examples of areas of NIPH co-operation:
- Support to governments, including ministries of health and national public health institutions, to integrate mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in emergency preparedness and response. Integration of MHPSS as a component of Africa CDC’s African Volunteers Health Corps (AVoHC) response capacity.
- Strengthen policy, legislation and strategies on NCDs, injuries and mental health in members states.
- Advocacy for political commitment to NCDs, injuries and mental health, e.g. through a continental declaration by members sates and an Africa Union task force to lead and co-ordinate actions to establish, strengthen and co-ordinate multi-sectoral action on NCDs, injuries and mental health.
- Africa CDC Mental Health Leadership Programme (AMHLP). This initiative aims to foster better mental health policies, funding, legislation, services and advocacy. By equipping leaders with human rights based and public health strategies, AMHLP seeks to address mental health challenges and advance healthcare workforce development across Africa.
The programme has four pillars:
- Support the integration of Mental health into the existing Africa CDC Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership Programme
- Establish an African Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP) in Global Mental Health.
- Implement the Short Public Mental Health Leadership Courses
- Strengthen the Networking and Civil Society Engagement