European-CDC Vists EPHI
The Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) recently hosted a high-level technical mission from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to solidify strategic institutional ties and enhance global health security cooperation.
Dr. Mesay Hailu, Director General of EPHI, alongside Deputy Director Generals Dr. Melkamu Abte and Dr. Saro Abdella, formally received the visiting officials to discuss the future of the partnership. The ECDC delegation was led by Director General Dr. Pamela Rendi-Wagner and included high-ranking officers Ole Heuer, Head of Unit for One Health; Vicky Lefevre, Head of Unit for Surveillance, Preparedness and Response; and Antonis Lanaras, Head of Governance and International Relations. During the formal proceedings, Dr. Mesay Hailu delivered an exhaustive briefing on the Institute’s primary mandates, emphasizing advancements in Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM), cutting-edge research, and specialized laboratory services.
Dr. Mesay Hailu explicitly reaffirmed the Institute’s unwavering commitment and strategic readiness to engage in deep, multifaceted collaboration with the ECDC, emphasizing that such synergetic cooperation is an essential requirement for the advancement of disease prevention and control initiatives.
The technical sessions provided empirical evidence of Ethiopia’s health security progress, showcasing a significant improvement in International Health Regulations (IHR) capacity as Joint External Evaluation (JEE) scores rose from 47% in 2016 to 61% in 2023. The presentations further delineated a new strategic focus on subnational interventions, targeting 18 technical areas across five distinct capacity levels to empower regional and district-level health administrations. Current metrics for the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) implementation indicate a robust completion rate of 59.6% for planned activities, bolstered by a multisectoral One Health operational plan and advanced data-sharing protocols.
In her remarks, Dr. Pamela Rendi-Wagner highlighted the broader impact of this engagement, noting the recent formalization of cooperation through the first Memorandum of Understanding between ECDC and Africa CDC to deepen ties across the continent. She expressed enthusiasm for the launch of a new collaborative project centered on the One Health approach and the critical issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which follows the successful conclusion of a previous five-year partnership. The delegation also conducted a comprehensive on-site inspection of the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) and the Public Health Emergency Operation Center (PHEOC), where they observed the Institute’s sophisticated response frameworks firsthand. Concluding the visit, the ECDC representatives extended their congratulations to the EPHI leadership for their tireless efforts and success in safeguarding the health and well-being of the Ethiopian people.