The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) announced today that it has received a renewed commitment of €11.5 million from the European Union Commission to support stronger preparedness and a coordinated response to the Ebola outbreak. This comprehensive financial and material package is aimed at reinforcing the EU Commission’s support through the Africa CDC emergency response to the Ebola crisis, within the framework of the long-standing and comprehensive AU-EU health partnership. This gesture demonstrates the central role of Africa CDC in coordinating the continental response to health emergencies, as well as the EU’s ongoing action as the world’s largest humanitarian contributor.
The newly announced €11.5 million total package is divided into two primary intervention components to maximize field impact. First, €6.5 million in direct funding is dedicated to strengthening the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative, which will help equip frontline teams, train essential healthcare workers, and improve overall disease surveillance through advanced diagnostics. Second, an in-kind contribution of €5 million worth of testing equipment, including rapid diagnostic devices and laboratory test kits, will be deployed quickly to the areas where they are needed most to combat the outbreak on the ground.
Hadja Lahbib, the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, made the official pronouncement during a special visit to the Africa CDC offices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In her statement, she emphasized that strong partnerships save lives and noted that this €11.5 million package will help Africa CDC strengthen its response to the Ebola outbreak by equipping and training healthcare workers, strengthening surveillance systems, and improving detection and response capacities across affected regions.
This engagement intensifies the joint efforts of the two continents to address current and future health threats while advancing Africa’s health sovereignty and broader sustainable development objectives.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, described the partnership with the European Union as respectful and completely without any conditionality, calling it the exact type of partnership that the African continent needs. He assured the delegation that the funds would be used effectively to create a tangible impact and that humanitarian corridors would be heavily considered in the emergency response, adding that they do not want to see health workers dying again due to a lack of necessary support.
Additionally, the European Commission is supporting the Africa CDC Pathogen Genomics Initiative 2.0 by dedicating €6 million to strengthen genomic sequencing and molecular diagnostic surveillance across Africa, which enhances outbreak response and cross-border health threat monitoring.
The broader AU-EU Health Partnership remains a long-term shared commitment to advancing health security, pandemic preparedness, and equitable access to healthcare across the African Continent, in line with the EU’s Global Gateway initiative and the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty agenda. Because diseases do not stop at borders, safeguarding public health remains an absolute priority, making international cooperation essential.
The EU’s continuous partnership with Africa CDC spanning technical expertise, capacity-building, and policy dialogue continues to play a key role in building resilient health systems across AU Member States.
During the visit to Addis Ababa, European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib also held productive meetings with African Union Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and the Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development of the AUC, Amma Twum-Amoah, to further strengthen EU-Africa cooperation.
Commissioner Lahbib provided updates on her recent mission to Bunia and emphasized health as a shared priority, while also proposing joint initiatives on humanitarian diplomacy and International Humanitarian Law.
Additionally, the leaders exchanged vital insights on current political developments, major regional crises across Africa, and the broader geopolitical impact of the Middle East war on the continent. The EU’s Global Gateway initiative, with its massive €150 billion investment package for Africa, was highlighted as a critical enabler of these efforts, supporting infrastructure projects, vaccine manufacturing, and health technology advancements that align perfectly with Africa CDC’s strategic goals.
