Tanzania’s Vice President, Dr. Philip Mpango, has urged African countries to prioritize sustainable health financing to ensure the continent is ready to respond to public health emergencies.
Dr. Mpango made the remarks during the meeting of the Heads of State and Government Committee of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
He stressed that Tanzania is committed to increasing domestic resource mobilization, promoting innovative financing, and supporting regional initiatives that reduce dependence on foreign aid.
This, he said, will ensure that Africa’s health priorities are led and managed by African governments.
The Vice President emphasized the need for local production of medical supplies, including diagnostic tools, medicines, and other essential health products, as a step toward self-reliance.
He highlighted Tanzania’s support for investments in domestic manufacturing, harmonized regulatory frameworks across Africa, and technology transfer partnerships to strengthen the continent’s capacity to tackle current and future health challenges.
Speaking on recent disease outbreaks, including Marburg and other infectious pathogens, Dr. Mpango noted that Africa must invest in robust preparedness and response systems.
Tanzania has been enhancing infectious disease treatment units, deploying emergency teams quickly, and investing in health infrastructure and personnel.
He also underscored the need to strengthen all pillars of public health emergency preparedness, including disease surveillance, laboratories, infection control, medical supplies, and coordinated outbreak responses.
Dr. Mpango called for stronger collaboration among African Union Member States, regional economic communities, and Africa CDC.
He said joint efforts in surveillance, policymaking, and capacity-building will strengthen Africa’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to emerging health threats.
The Africa CDC Committee meeting focused on the theme, “Ensuring Africa’s Health Sovereignty: Political Leadership for Sustainable Health Financing, Local Production, and Epidemic Preparedness.”