By Michael Gwarisa
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has announced the postponement of the 2024 Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA), which was originally set to take place in Morocco from 26 to 29 November 2024.
In a statement, Dr. Jean Kaseya, the Africa CDC Director General said the decision had to be made to protect people from infection.
This difficult but necessary decision was made following consultations between H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, and Professor Khalid Aït Taleb, Morocco’s Minister of Health and Social Protection, during their meeting today, 13 September 2024, in Rabat.”
H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya extended gratitude to the Kingdom of Morocco for their understanding and support during these challenging times.
“The continent is currently battling a severe Mpox outbreak that has spread across all five regions, prompting Africa CDC to declare it a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) on 13 August, followed by the WHO’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 14 August,” said Dr Kaseya.
He added that Africa CDC was concentrating efforts and resources on combating this devastating Mpox outbreak.
“We recognize the CPHIA as an essential platform for dialogue, collaboration, and exchange among public health leaders across Africa. Therefore, we will reschedule the conference to a later date in 2025, which will be announced in due course. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Kingdom of Morocco for their exceptional preparations and commitment to hosting the CPHIA. Africa CDC remains steadfast in its intention to organize the next CPHIA in Rabat in 2025.”
