Africa Renews Push to Eliminate Multiple Diseases

African health ministers and regional health leaders have agreed to step up efforts to eliminate several major diseases across the continent, calling for disease elimination to remain a central part of Africa’s wider health and development agenda.

The commitment was made during a high-level meeting held alongside the 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa. Participants endorsed the Addis Ababa Call to Action, which seeks to strengthen national ownership, increase domestic health financing and build stronger health systems capable of tackling multiple health threats.

Africa has recorded important progress in recent years. In 2025, Burundi, Mauritania and Senegal eliminated trachoma, Niger became the first African country to eliminate river blindness, while Guinea and Kenya eliminated sleeping sickness. Other milestones include progress towards eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and the elimination of measles and rubella in Cabo Verde, Mauritius and Seychelles.

However, health leaders warned that funding shortages, weak disease surveillance and diagnostic systems, poor integration of disease programmes and insecurity in some countries could threaten these achievements. They called for greater investment and closer coordination rather than relying solely on disease-specific programmes.

The World Health Organization reaffirmed its commitment to supporting African countries, working alongside the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and other partners. Leaders said stronger country leadership, integrated primary healthcare and sustained investment will be essential to protect existing gains and accelerate disease elimination across the continent.