By Kemo Cham
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has announcement the postponement of this year’s edition of its annual health conference due to concerns over the ongoing Mpox epidemic.
The 4th edition of the Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA) was originally set to take place in Morocco from 26 to 29 November 2024. But Africa CDC said it has to focus its attention on dealing with the viral epidemic that has been worsening.
The Mpox outbreak which started in 2022, recently became widespread, prompting global concern.
According to Africa CDC data, the virus has spread across all five regions of the continent, which prompted it to declare it a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) on 13 August. That was followed by the WHO’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 14 August.
“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,” the agency said in the statement.
The meeting between the two officials took place in the Moroccan capital, Rabat on Friday, 13 September. And it was followed by a press conference, at which Dr Kaseya made the announcement.
“As the epidemic is developing in a rather dangerous way, and given that this epidemic requires us to focus all our energy on it, I have officially asked the Moroccan government…to postpone the organization of the conference,” he told reporters.
Africa CDC is the specialized public health agency of the African Union which is charged with supporting the public health initiatives of member states and strengthen the capacity of their health institutions to deal with disease threats.
CPHIA is one of its ways of achieving this. The event provides an Africa-led platform for leaders, policy makers and researchers across the continent and beyond to reflect on lessons learnt in health and science and chart the way forward for more resilient health systems for member countries.
The agency said the new date for the conference will be announced in coordination with the African Union. And Rabat will still host the event some time in 2025.
“Africa CDC is now concentrating all its 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,” the agency said.
The announcement comes as Morocco itself became the first country in north Africa to record a of the virus. Latest data from Africa CDC show that the continent has recorded over 26,000 suspected Mpox cases and 724 deaths this year.
