ARC, WAHO and Institut Pasteur de Dakar establish an Alliance to strengthen epidemic preparedness and response

DAKAR, Senegal, July 25th, 2022 – AfriCatalyst is pleased to announce that the African Risk Capacity (ARC), the West African Health Organization (WAHO) and Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) have signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding that establishes a framework for collaboration between them in matters of common interest.

Through this new partnership agreement facilitated by AfriCatalyst, the three institutions have formalized their innovative Alliance which will bring together innovative finance, policy, and technical expertise with a view to strengthening epidemic preparedness and response in the ECOWAS region and beyond.

For several years, IPD, ARC, and WAHO have been actively involved in efforts to mitigate the adverse impact of health emergencies in the ECOWAS region, in line with their respective mandate and in collaboration with various partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

Supplementing existing bilateral agreements between the signatories, the new partnership between ARC, WAHO and IPD in the context of the Alliance will facilitate their collaborative efforts to mitigate the negative impact of acute health emergencies in West Africa. This will include building sustainable capacities in ECOWAS member states, harnessing state-of-the-art technologies to respond, and forging access to innovative finance mechanisms.

BMGF funding will play a catalytic role for the activities of the Alliance by supporting AfriCatalyst’s efforts to help coordinate and advance the common agenda of the Alliance, including actions planned under existing and forthcoming partnership agreements to amplify the potential impact of these partnerships as well as the gender sensitivity of epidemic response and preparedness.

“ARC welcomes this great Africa-led initiative supported by the BMGF as we continue to develop our Outbreaks & Epidemics risk insurance product to enable early containment of epidemic-prone diseases, and respond to public health emergencies,” said Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and ARC Group Director General.

“WAHO is delighted with this partnership which continues our strategy of prioritizing regional solutions to regional problems,” said Professor Stanley Okolo, WAHO Director General.

“The IPD-ARC-WAHO Alliance supported by the BMGF brings an innovative approach to dealing impactfully with epidemic and pandemic preparedness in West Africa and beyond. We are excited to start this initiative,” said Dr Amadou Alpha Sall, CEO of Institut Pasteur de Dakar.

“We at AfriCatalyst are honored to have the privilege to support this innovative and strategic partnership between pan-African, regional and national champions,” said Daouda Sembene, Chief Executive Officer at AfriCatalyst. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with the BMGF as we fulfill this unique responsibility.”

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

About ARC Agency

ARC Agency was established as a Specialized Agency of the AU to help its member countries improve their capacities to better plan, prepare and respond to extreme weather events, natural and other disasters including Outbreaks and Epidemics, thereby protecting the vulnerable populations against such events. The Agreement establishing ARC Agency has now been signed by 35 African countries across the continent and that ARC is supporting its member countries to integrate risk management into their policy and development objectives, especially against recurrent disasters (drought, floods, outbreaks, and epidemics) and to build resilience and enhance recovery after disasters. (https://www.arc.int/)

About West African Health Organization

WAHO is the Specialized Institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) responsible for health matters in ECOWAS Member States, whose objective is the attainment of the highest possible standard and protection of health of the people in the sub-region through the harmonization of the policies of the Member States, pooling of resources, and cooperation with one another and with others for a collective and strategic combat against the health problems of the sub-region. (https://www.wahooas.org/web-ooas/)

About Institut Pateur de Dakar

Institut Pasteur de Dakar is a non-profit private foundation of public utility under Senegalese law, and its objective is of protecting and promoting public health and well-being in West Africa; through 5 different health-related sectors: Research and development; Diagnostics, vaccination, nutrition and environment; Education, training and talent development; Expertise and strategic direction in public health; Production and distribution of human vaccines. (http://www.pasteur.sn/fr)

About AfriCatalyst

AfriCatalyst is an independent, global development advisory firm that strives to build partnerships between global and local actors to promote innovative, evidence-based solutions to Africa’s development challenges. We aim to make a difference by helping domestic and external stakeholders work collaboratively to achieve positive development outcomes shaped by mutually beneficial partnerships. (https://africatalyst.com/)