In a landmark step toward strengthening national health security, Ethiopia officially launched the digitalization of its Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) system, marking significant progress toward establishing the Public Health Emergency Management Center of Excellence (PHEM-COE).

The high-level event in Addis Ababa convened senior government leaders and development partners, the World Health Organization (WHO) including other partners such as United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Mekdes Daba, Minister of Health of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, underscored the urgency of collective action:

 “We don’t have time to waste when it comes to public health. We must integrate, we must act, and we must use data. Today’s session is about converting our words into action.”

Delivering the keynote address, Head of Mission and Representative to Ethiopia, the African Union and UN Economic Commission for Africa, Prof. Francis Chisaka Kasolo, commended Ethiopia’s decisive leadership, particularly during the recent Marburg virus response:

“Allow me to sincerely congratulate the Ministry of Health and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute for their strong leadership. The swift detection of cases, rapid activation of the Incident Management System, and coordinated national response demonstrated the growing strength and maturity of Ethiopia’s public health emergency management system.”