The African Public Health Emergency Fund - Background

:: What is WHO doing to address the situation



Why do we need the fund

AFRO Strategic Health Operations Centre (SHOC)

WHO Staff attending to the health needs of internally displaced persons

WHO Staff providing support during an emergency

What is being done by WHO to address the situation at the moment?

Over the years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been working vigorously with countries in the region to strengthen their national health and emergency management systems so that they can prepare for and respond to major epidemic and pandemic diseases and other public health emergencies.

In order to assist Member States in early detection and effective response to epidemics and emergencies, WHO developed Technical Guidelines on Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response and an early warning system for emergencies. The IDSR guidelines have recently been revised to include Public Health Events of International Concern as part of the implementation of International Health Regulations.

The Organization has installed a state-of-the-art Strategic Health Operations Centre (SHOC) which is now serves as the centre for coordinating response to outbreaks, pandemics, natural or manmade disasters and other public health events of international concern.

In spite of these efforts, timely response to epidemics requires sufficient resources and comprehensive plans. In the WHO African Region, preparedness and response to epidemic prone diseases at all levels are severely limited by lack of adequate financial resources.

What else needs to be done?

The voluntary fund aims to raise an initial seed money from the 46 Member States and other health partners in line with Article 50(f) of the WHO Constitution. Member States are urged to contribute to this fund and to ensure the highest level of political support towards its success.

In recognition of the inadequacy of resources available to countries in the WHO African region to combat epidemics and other public health emergencies, the WHO Regional Director Dr Luis Sambo proposed to Health Ministers, the establishment of the African Public Health Emergency Fund during the 59th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Kigali, Rwanda.

A resolution was adopted by Health Ministers at the 60th Session of the Regional Committee in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea in September 2010 approving the creation of this Fund.