Ramaphosa urges urgent investment in African health security as Ebola spreads

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for urgent investment in Africa’s health systems and pandemic response capacity, saying recent Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda show the continent cannot afford to be caught unprepared again.

Remembering the cost of COVID-19

In his weekly letter to the nation, Ramaphosa reflected on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying “A little over four years have passed since South Africa emerged from the state of disaster that had been declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is easy to forget just how deeply the pandemic affected every aspect of our lives.”

He noted that more than 100,000 South Africans died from COVID-19 and that the country “lost around two million jobs during the pandemic period.”

Ebola as a warning

Ramaphosa said the Ebola outbreaks are a reminder that “when a dangerous disease breaks out anywhere on our continent, it does not stay in one place. It can easily cross borders, affect communities, and disrupt economies.” He stressed that health security is not only a medical issue but also an economic and developmental concern.

Lessons on global inequality

Recalling vaccine access during COVID-19, Ramaphosa said:

“We learned this the hard way during COVID-19. In those early days, Africa stood at the back of the queue. Vaccines and treatments went first to wealthier countries, while our people waited.”

He said Africa must reduce dependency on external partners during health emergencies and build stronger domestic and continental capacity to respond:

“We cannot allow that to happen again. While we appreciate the help of international partners, Africa cannot keep depending on others to supply us during a health emergency. We must be able to protect ourselves.”

Steps being taken

Ramaphosa listed measures aimed at strengthening preparedness, including national public health institutes, improved surveillance systems, and expanded community health worker networks. He also called for increased local production of medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic tools, and for stronger coordination through institutions such as the African Medicines Agency.

He said efforts are underway “to strengthen the African Medicines Agency and to set up shared systems for buying supplies, so that African producers have steady customers and African countries can get what they need when an emergency strikes.”

Funding and continental cooperation

The president highlighted plans for an African Epidemic Fund and welcomed contributions by African countries toward responding to Ebola. He noted that South Africa has pledged $5 million to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to help contain the spread of Ebola.

Ramaphosa praised the continent’s coordinated response, saying it demonstrated that “we have the people, the knowledge, and the leadership to succeed.” He added that Africa should push for a fair international pandemic response framework based on equal partnership rather than charity.

Acting before the next crisis

Ramaphosa urged that action is needed now to strengthen health systems and preparedness so that lives and economies are protected in future outbreaks, attributing the need for early, sustained work on health security to preserving both lives and livelihoods.

He concluded that stronger preparedness will protect lives and economies and that “Health security saves lives, protects jobs, and helps to safeguard our future.”

Editor’s note

Editor’s note: Earlier version misstated South Africa’s pledge and included an unattributed quote. The article has been corrected.

Corrections made

• Corrected South Africa’s pledge to $5 million to the Africa CDC (previously and incorrectly stated as $13.5 million).
• Removed a fabricated quote that did not appear in the IOL source.
• Replaced the removed quote with an accurate paraphrase of Ramaphosa’s message about acting now to strengthen health systems, attributed to him.
• Reviewed and retained only figures, organisations and quotes that appear in the IOL source material.