Welcome back to Pandemic Proof for Season 2. The world has made some progress on pandemic preparedness and response since we began this podcast, including by establishing the Pandemic Fund. But new and ongoing health threats loom, and global systems are far from ready—so what priority actions are needed now?
In the first episode of this new season of Pandemic Proof, host Javier Guzman previews several of the outstanding challenges and upcoming milestones in the world of pandemic preparedness and response that we’ll dive into this season. Then, H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), joins Javier to discuss how Africa CDC is translating lessons from COVID-19 into stronger, more resilient systems. Guided by new governance arrangements and an expanded mandate, Africa CDC is spearheading the creation of a new procurement mechanism, operationalizing a financing mechanism to bolster preparedness capabilities, and leading the push for more manufacturing of vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics on the continent.
“I have to call local manufacturing the second independence of Africa because it will ensure our health security; it will ensure economic growth,” says Dr. Kaseya on this episode of Pandemic Proof. “Local manufacturing of health commodities will become an agenda of peace in Africa.”
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