Parametric development insurance provider the African Risk Capacity (ARC) has signed an agreement with the Africa Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC) in a move it says will strengthen resilience to infectious diseases of epidemic nature.
ASG Mohamed Beavogui, Director-General, ARC (Right) & Dr John Nkengasong, Director, Africa CDC (Left).
The two organisations have for some time been working together on establishing the Africa Epidemic Preparedness Index, a project designed to bolster outbreak preparedness assessment within the framework of the International Health Regulation compliance.
“This Agreement is in line with our ongoing strategic and technical collaboration to provide AU Member States with an array of risk management tools, including early warning, contingency planning, and alternative financing options against infectious diseases,” said ASG Mohamed Beavogui, the Director-General of ARC.
“The next steps will be to explore how quickly we can assist Governments to begin strengthening capacities for risk reduction and mitigation before the next outbreak.
“Particularly, to encourage prioritization of investments in emergency preparedness and response plans for effective recovery from public health events.”
ARC launched its first sovereign insurance product In 2014 following the devastating impact of the West African Ebola crisis.
The organisation stated that slow and unpredictable funding was a major contributing factor to the inability of the Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia to rapidly respond to the initial outbreaks.
Dr John Nkengasong, Director, Africa CDC, added, “Establishing early warning and response surveillance platforms to address all health emergencies in a timely and effective manner towards supporting public health emergency preparedness and response are pivotal to our work.”
“Our partnership with ARC will consolidate this effort and provide a good synergy to support Member States in health emergencies response in addition to promoting critical partnerships to address emerging and endemic diseases and other public health emergencies.”
