Peter
On Saturday, March 23, 2024, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm met with Director-General Jean Kaseya of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to recognize our historic relationship and ongoing partnership. Deputy Secretary Palm led a delegation to Ethiopia that included Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs Loyce Pace and Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Dr. Mandy Cohen. The meeting with Africa CDC was part of a larger engagement comprised of meetings and site visits with Ethiopian health officials and longstanding program partners.
Africa CDC leadership acknowledged that HHS’ contributions remain fundamental to their success. Deputy Secretary Palm and Director General Kaseya discussed how billions of dollars of investments across the U.S. government in the African region – including for health workers, data systems, labs, and other assets – has been leveraged for Africa’s global health security initiatives. Deputy Secretary Palm also committed to moving forward with a recent adopted joint action plan to establish clear working groups in several focus areas. Additionally, discussions focused on current regional outbreaks – particularly cholera and mpox – and how HHS and Africa CDC could work together to support countries in their capacity to respond. The visit was confirmation of the critical role Africa CDC and U.S. agencies have played in building and sustaining regional global health security. HHS looks forward to building on this partnership in the months and years to come.
The following individuals participated in the meeting:
- HHS Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm
- HHS Assistant Secretary of Global Affairs Loyce Pace
- HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Mandy Cohen
- Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya
- Africa CDC Acting Deputy Director-General Dr. Raji Tajudeen
- Africa CDC Chief of Staff and Head General of Executive Office Dr. Nsashi Ngongo
