By Michael Gwarisa
Zimbabwe’s Public Health Advisor to the President and Cabinet, Dr Agnes Mahomva together with 16 other African health leaders have been appointed to the African Region, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa Emergency Preparedness & Response Technical Advisory Group (EPR-TAG).
The independent body serves as the principal advisory group to WHO AFRO for strategic guidance on all matters pertaining to public health emergency preparedness and response. The EPR Technical Advisory Group will support WHO African Member States to fortify health security in the face of diverse emergencies.
The EPR-TAG is chaired by Dr Deo Nshimirimana, a retired WHO medical doctor renowned for his expertise in immunization in emergency settings.
In an interview with HealthTimes following her appointment, Dr Mahomva said was honoured to be part of the team of experts.
It is a great honour for me and for the country as a whole. It is an opportunity to share our country experiences with the rest of the continent and to specifically provide evidence based preparedness and reasponse advice based on these experiences. Iam trully honoured and excited to join a team of very strong emergency preparedness and reaponse experts who have the Africa continent at heart,” Said Dr Mahomva.
Deputising Dr Dr Nshimirimana is Dr Rebecca Martin, Vice President of Global Health and Director of the Emory Global Health Institute, appointed as the Vice-Chairperson. Dr Martin brings decades of experience in health security, emergency response and immunization. Both leaders bring a wealth of experience in public health and will guide the EPR-TAG for an initial three-year term.
“The opportunity to lead the EPR-TAG is a great honour, and I am thrilled to be part of this transformative team. I am confident that our collective expertise will significantly contribute to enhancing Africa’s preparedness and response capabilities, ensuring a more resilient defence against ongoing and future health threats. Together, we can make a substantial impact on the well-being of African nations,” said Dr Deo Nshimirimana.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, commented on the establishment of the EPR-TAG, stating: “The Emergency Preparedness & Response technical group will play a critical role in strengthening our capacity, working collectively with partners, to support countries to prepare for, respond to, recover from public health emergencies while continuing to provide essential health care, across the African Region. I look forward, with our team, to leveraging its diverse expertise and independent perspective, for the benefit of our Member States.”
Countries in the WHO African Region experience over 100 health emergencies annually which disrupt the economy and prosperity of communities and weaken already fragile health systems. With climate change and conflict aggravating more than half of Africa’s health emergencies, the next pandemic is not just a possibility, it’s imminent. It is imperative, now more than ever, to enhance the Emergency Preparedness and Response capabilities within the Region.
Composed of 16 distinguished experts (details below) from diverse fields like epidemiology, public health, global health, vaccinology, paediatrics, nutrition, internal medicine, infectious diseases, programme management, health-care administration, health economics, health communication, sociology, the EPR-TAG advises the WHO AFRO Regional Director on key issues. These include assessing the regional context of infectious diseases and other public health emergencies; conducting horizon scanning for new and emerging threats; providing strategic guidance on preparedness, response, and recovery strategies; reviewing progress in implementing regional health security initiatives; and strengthening country ownership and decision-making in emergency response.
