By Kumba Leigh
The WHO Boss, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus from Ethiopia was awarded the Africa CDC Prestigious Life- time-Achievement in Public Health Award for championing pandemic response in Africa, and the first African to serve as Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
On receiving the award, Tedros said a healthy Africa is a recipe of more prosperous and peaceful Africa. Health is the foundation of prosperous nation, and a healthy population is prosperous. He said the continents human resources are its foundation.
He said, their agenda 2063 now called the “Blue-Print for Africa” was built on seven pillars including health. Support of these pillars, he said, has contributed to enabling them build continental description. In July 2013, a meeting by African Union was conducted giving birth to the emergence of the Africa CDC, including the establishment of the Africa Medicine Agency.
“After my election as Director General of WHO in 2017, I continued to support in strengthening Africa CDC, and Health Africa through other initiatives including Technology Transfer App in SouthAfrica (TTASA). This we think will address the problem during the pandemic, but more importantly, the investment of human capital,” he said.
“For too long young African public health professionals do not have the opportunities they deserved at WHO, but we are changing that by transforming our international conference for the first time, and also establishing young professional programmes,” said WHO’s Tedros.
It took WHO almost seventy-five (75) years to have its African director general. During his tenure with WHO, Dr Tedros worked to accelerate progress against diseases that affected millions of people each year, including HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis1. He also played a role in the response to the Ebola virus epidemic, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and the monkeypox outbreak.
Speaking on the sidelines of the CPHIA in Lusaka, Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General, Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pointed out that
throughout his tenure at the WHO, Dr. Tedros has exemplified transformative leadership, steering the organization through complex global health challenges with resilience and foresight.
“His commitment to ensuring access to healthcare, promoting equity, and tackling emerging health threats has left an indelible impact on the lives of millions around the world,” he said.
In his remark, the senior Dr Kaseya also commended the WHO boss for being instrumental in the establishment of the Africa CDC, noting that Dr Tedros was a strong voice for the declaration at the African Union Special Summit on HIV, TB and Malaria (ATM) in Abuja in July 2013 of the need for an African CDC.
