Role of National Public Health Institutes for a stronger health system in Africa

Abstract

Abstract Background Functional National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs) are critical for effective surveillance, outbreak detection and response, provision of specialized diagnostic services, research and capacity building to guide health policies and strategies through science and data. Many countries in Africa lack fully functioning NPHIs and remain ill-prepared to respond to public health threats with the required speed and agility. Objective The main objective of this study was to map and generate information on the status of NPHI establishment in Africa, understand the legal frameworks used by the countries to establish NPHIs, and describe the different models of NPHIs in the continent. Methods A semi-structured questionnaire was administered online by the Africa CDC between 18 July 2021 and 26 May 2022. Data was collated, filtered and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Arc GIS for mapping of NPHI establishment status by country. Informed consent was obtained from all participating institutions. Result Of the 55 African Union Member States, 40 (72.7%) responded to the online survey. Among the Members States that responded, 12 reported being fully-established, 17 indicated that they were at an advanced stage, six (6) have started the process, and five (5) reported as not having a plan to develop a NPHI. Among the fully-established and at advanced stage NPHIs, 17 (58.6%) are autonomous and semi-autonomous, three (10.3%) are a network of institutions, and nine (31%) are structured as a departments under the Ministries of Health. The most common functions of NPHsI are Research (26), Surveillance and Disease Intelligence (24), Epidemic Preparedness and Response (24), Workforce Development (19), Public Health Informatics (15), and Health Promotion (10). Conclusion Success in building strong health systems in Africa requires countries to have strong Public Health Institutions. Thus, more efforts are required from the Africa CDC, African Union Member States and development partners to advocate and support the strengthening and the establishment of new NPHIs.