Africa CDC Demands Transparency from Aid Partners in Ebola Response

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is working to find a vaccine for a new strain of the Ebola virus. The agency has announced that it will blacklist partners who fail to report how they use funds meant for combating disease outbreaks in Africa.

During an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Dr. Jean Kaseya, the Director General of Africa CDC, expressed frustration over the lack of transparency among some aid partners. He noted that out of nearly $1 billion already given from a $3 billion pledge made at a recent UN meeting, only a small portion was reported by partners.

Kaseya highlighted that many partners receive money from donors but do not disclose how much they received or what they did with it. He stated, “Enough is enough. It will never happen again on this continent.” He emphasized the need for accountability and traceability of funds.

He mentioned that only 19 out of 92 partners attended a recent meeting to discuss funding, and those present reported receiving about $220 million. This raised concerns about the whereabouts of the remaining funds. Kaseya insisted that governments must know how much money is available and who is responsible for its use.

To improve coordination, Kaseya has appointed Professor Aliko Ahmed to oversee partners working in Nigeria and provide daily updates to the health minister. He is working closely with other officials to ensure transparency in the response efforts.

If partners do not comply with these transparency rules, Kaseya warned that they would face consequences, including being blacklisted across Africa. He is currently gathering information from donors to track how much money each partner has received and what they have done with it.