Dakar, 18 July 2017 - Organisations involved in managing health emergencies and disease outbreaks in the African Region have agreed on better ways of coordinating their activities in the event of a crisis so as to save more lives and resources.

With more than 100 public health emergencies occurring each year in the African Region, the need to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the preparedness and response to health emergencies to meet the needs of affected communities has become paramount.

At the end of a three - day meeting in Dakar, Senegal, the Organisations agreed to undertake a number of specific joint actions in the next two years aimed at improving the quality and impact of their interventions. Some of the activities include:

• Mapping of partner institutions capacities in African region, 
• Mapping of laboratory capacity in the region including diagnostics and vet labs for One Health
• Engaging key partners in the Pandemic Supply Chain Network Lead organizations: WFP
• Harmonize emergency training programs in the African region
• Develop repository of tools and documents for response to public health emergencies.
• Lead organizations: WHO AFRO , GOARN and Africa CDC

The event attracted over 70 representatives and experts from national, regional and international organizations. Among these were UNICEF, FAO, OCHA, WFP, UNHCR, IOM, MSF International, US CDC, AFENET, ALIMA, Nigeria CDC, IFRC, ARC, NICD South Africa, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Public Health England, UVRI, KEMRI, Africa CDC, GOARN and WHO.

It is envisaged that with the collective harmonisation and implementation of these actions, the world will see a much improved coordination of health emergencies in the region.