European Union Announces €11.5 million Euros to support Africa CDC’s response to Ebola Outbreak
The package is aimed at reinforcing the EU Commission’s support through the Africa CDC emergency response to the Ebola crisis, within the long-standing and comprehensive AU-EU health partnership. This demonstrates the central role of Africa CDC in coordinating the continental response to health emergencies, as well as the EU’s action as the world’s largest humanitarian contributor.
This includes €6.5 million to strengthen the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative, to help equip frontline teams train healthcare workers and improve surveillance through diagnostics and in-kind contribution of €5 million worth of testing equipment, including rapid diagnostic devices and lab test kits, to be deployed quickly where they are needed most. Factsheet: EU response to Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak
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Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management made the pronouncement during a special visit at Africa CDC offices in Addis Ababa. Read more on the EC Daily News : https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/mex_26_1309
“Strong partnerships save lives. This €11.5 million package will help Africa CDC strengthen our response to the Ebola outbreak by equipping and training healthcare workers, strengthening surveillance systems, and improving detection and response capacities” she said.
This engagement intensifies the two continents joint efforts to address current and future health threats while advancing Africa’s health sovereignty and broader sustainable development objectives.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General, Africa CDC described the partnership with the European Union as respectful, and without any conditionality, a type of partnership the continent needs. “We want to assure you that we’ll use this money to make impact. And we’ll use this money to ensure that humanitarian corridors will be considered in our response. We don’t want to see, again, health workers dying because we are not providing necessary support” he noted.
The European Commission supports the Africa CDC Pathogen Genomics Initiative 2.0, dedicating €6 million to strengthen genomic sequencing and molecular diagnostic surveillance across Africa. This effort enhances outbreak response and cross-border health threat monitoring.
The broader AU-EU Health Partnership is 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. Safeguarding public health remains an absolute priority as diseases do not stop at borders and cooperation is essential. The EU’s partnership with Africa CDC spanning technical expertise, capacity-building, and policy dialogue continues to play a key role in building resilient health systems.
During the visit to Addis Ababa, Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management held productive meetings with African Union Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development of the AUC Amma Twum-Amoah to strengthen EU-Africa cooperation. European 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 insights on current political developments, major regional crises across Africa, and the broader geopolitical impact of the Middle East war on the continent.
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About EU Global Gateway Initiative
The EU’s Global Gateway initiative, with its €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 with Africa CDC’s strategic goals. The AU-EU Health Partnership is implemented in a Team Europe format, twinning projects such as the cooperation between the Africa CDC and the European CDC and the African Medicines Agency (AMA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA).
About Africa CDC
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is the public health agency of the African Union. As an autonomous institution, Africa CDC supports AU Member States to strengthen health systems, improve disease surveillance, and enhance emergency preparedness and response. For more information, visit: http://www.africacdc.org and follow Africa CDC on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and YouTube.