Ghana Hosts Consultative Meeting To Strengthen Africa’S Health Security Through National Public Health Agencies

Africa's ability to effectively prepare for and respond to health emergencies took a significant step forward as public health leaders, technical experts, and key stakeholders convened for a high-level regional consultation on strengthening National Public Health Agencies (NPHAs).

Hosted in Ghana by the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region, the meeting brought together representatives from across the continent to assess and refine the core framework that will enhance Africa's health security architecture.

With public health emergencies increasing in frequency and complexity, the role of NPHAs has never been more critical. NPHAs serve as central hubs for disease surveillance, outbreak response, laboratory diagnostics and risk communication, thus, ensuring they are well-structured, adequately resourced, and effectively governed is vital. Yet, their effectiveness depends on strong governance models, sustainable financing, and strategic partnerships. The consultation provided a platform for African experts to shape the evolving governance models of NPHAs with focus on institutional strengthening and sustainable financing mechanisms.

Speaking at the opening of the consultative meeting, Dr. Frank Lule, Officer in Charge at WHO Ghana, highlighted the broader vision of the meeting and called on participants to give their best. "This meeting goes beyond defining technical capacities; it's about rethinking governance models, strengthening partnerships within emergency management”, he said.

Through in-depth discussions, participants examined how NPHAs could be better positioned to operate autonomously while maintaining strong coordination with Ministries of Health and other key agencies.

The frequency of public health threats in Africa calls for stronger, more coordinated response mechanisms. Director General of Ghana Health Service, Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, emphasized the importance of this engagement. He said, "As Ghana faces pressing public health challenges, this programme comes at a crucial time. I look forward to the insights that will emerge from this meeting to strengthen our response."

Stakeholders explored ways to improve technical capacity, optimize resource allocation, and ensure that NPHAs can effectively lead health emergency preparedness and response efforts in their respective countries. Strengthening collaboration between NPHAs, WHO, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and other global health institutions was also identified as a key strategy to enhance preparedness and response across the region.

The consultation concluded with a strong commitment to empowering NPHAs and ensuring their active role in Africa's health security framework. Key outcomes included:

• A clearer understanding of the current landscape of NPHAs in Africa and their contributions to emergency preparedness and response.

• Refinement of the core capabilities framework, integrating African perspectives and experiences.

• Strengthened partnerships among NPHAs, WHO, Africa CDC, and other key stakeholders to enhance regional cooperation.

• Identification of actionable steps for WHO, partner organizations, and governments to improve NPHAs' capacity and positioning in emergency preparedness and response.

By fostering strategic partnerships and refining governance models, this consultation has set the stage for a more resilient health emergency preparedness system in Africa. As the recommendations from this meeting take shape, NPHAs are poised to play an even greater role in protecting public health and responding effectively to future crises.

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