The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) welcomes the appointment of Dr Mark Dybul as the next Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and looks forward to deepening cooperation in support of Africa's health priorities.

Following a telephone conversation with Dr Dybul on 7 November, Africa CDC Director General H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya congratulated him on his appointment and shared Africa's expectations for the next phase of cooperation with the Global Fund, particularly on African ownership, sustainable financing and health sovereignty.

Dr Dybul returns to the Global Fund at a defining moment for Africa and global health. Africa is advancing its health security and sovereignty agenda, external financing is under growing pressure, and reform of the global health architecture has become increasingly urgent. This moment calls for renewed leadership, stronger partnerships and bold decisions to protect decades of progress against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

Africa CDC recognises the Global Fund's longstanding contribution to saving lives and strengthening health systems across the continent. It also acknowledges the leadership of outgoing Executive Director Peter Sands and his contribution to advancing the partnership with African countries.

The Africa Health Security and Sovereignty Agenda (AHSS) sets a clear direction for the future of global health cooperation. African governments must lead decisions on their health priorities, financing and implementation, supported by strong national institutions and accountable systems. International partnerships have a vital role in advancing this ambition.

This requires predictable financing, greater domestic resource mobilisation and realistic transition arrangements that reflect countries' economic and institutional capacities. Global health investments should strengthen national planning, budgeting, procurement and financial management systems, while progressively reducing parallel structures and administrative burdens. Protecting essential services and sustaining the gains achieved over decades must remain a shared priority.

Africa CDC also sees significant potential to accelerate African manufacturing of essential health products. The Global Fund's purchasing power can help create predictable demand for quality-assured medicines, diagnostics and other health technologies produced on the continent. Africa CDC looks forward to working with the Global Fund to advance concrete procurement commitments, technology transfer, investment in local production and closer cooperation through the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM).

Sustained progress against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria will depend on continued investment in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and community health systems. Frontline health workers, community organisations, laboratories and primary health care services are essential to reaching people most at risk. Scientific advances, including long-acting HIV prevention technologies, improved tuberculosis diagnostics and treatments, and next-generation malaria tools, must reach the communities that need them.

H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, said:

"Mark knows the Global Fund, and he knows Africa. His appointment comes at a defining moment for our continent and for global health. Africa has a clear vision for its health future. African countries must lead decisions about their health priorities, strengthen their institutions and build sustainable financing. We want African manufacturers to produce the medicines, diagnostics and technologies our people need. We want every community to have reliable access to quality health services. The Global Fund has helped save millions of lives across Africa. Its investments and purchasing power can play a decisive role in advancing our health sovereignty agenda, particularly through the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism. I look forward to working with Mark to turn these ambitions into concrete action. We will measure our success by the lives we save, the diseases we prevent, the institutions we strengthen and Africa's growing capacity to protect the health of its people."

The Memorandum of Understanding signed between Africa CDC and the Global Fund in May 2026 provides a foundation for advancing this cooperation, particularly in strengthening national health systems, domestic financing, regional procurement, manufacturing and community health services.

Africa CDC looks forward to working closely with Dr Dybul, the Global Fund Board and African Member States to deliver concrete results for African governments and communities.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is the African Union's autonomous public health agency. Established in 2016 and launched in 2017, it works with Member States to strengthen public health systems and improve disease prevention, preparedness and emergency response. Headquartered in Addis Ababa, it operates through five Regional Coordinating Centres. For more information, visit: http://www.africacdc.org and follow Africa CDC on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and YouTube.

Media enquiries: Directorate of Communications and Public Information, Africa CDC | Email: communications@africacdc.org

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