Omanghana
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has inducted 75 new members into the Southern Africa regional pool of the Africa Volunteer Health Corps (AVoHC), strengthening the continent’s ability to respond quickly to public health emergencies.
The expansion is designed to boost surge capacity across Southern Africa, enabling faster and more coordinated responses to cross-border disease outbreaks and other health crises. The newly inducted volunteers form part of a growing continental reserve workforce that can be rapidly deployed to support countries facing urgent health threats.
According to the Africa CDC, building a skilled and ready response force is central to the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty (AHSS) Agenda, which aims to reduce Africa’s dependence on external emergency support and enhance regional self-reliance in managing outbreaks.
The volunteers include epidemiologists, laboratory scientists, clinicians, and other public health experts who have undergone specialized training. They are prepared to deploy within 48 hours of activation, providing technical assistance, outbreak investigation, laboratory support, and clinical response in affected areas.
The induction follows a high-level meeting held in Harare, where member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) discussed strategies to strengthen regional preparedness. Officials noted that Africa faces more than 200 health emergencies each year, ranging from infectious disease outbreaks to humanitarian crises linked to climate and conflict.
By expanding the Africa Volunteer Health Corps in Southern Africa, Africa CDC says it is reinforcing a coordinated regional approach to health security, ensuring that trained professionals are on standby to protect communities and contain threats before they escalate.
Source: Omanghana
