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 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma,
chairperson of the African Union Commission, signed a memo of
cooperation formalizing the collaboration between the African Union
Commission and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The West African Ebola epidemic reaffirmed the need for a public
health institute to support African ministries of health and other
health agencies in their efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to
any disease outbreak," CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden said in a
statement.
The African CDC is slated to launch later this year with the opening
of a surveillance and response unit, which will provide technical
expertise and help coordinate response to health emergencies, the
statement said.
As part of the agreement, the U.S. CDC will send two public health
experts to serve as long-term technical advisers to the African CDC.
The United States will also support fellowships for 10 African
epidemiologists to help staff five regional African CDC coordinating
centers which are being established to help monitor disease activity
on the continent.
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(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Ted Botha)
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