Addis Ababa – The ambassador, permanent representative of Morocco to the African Union (AU) and the UNECA, Mohamed Arrouchi, highlighted, Wednesday in Addis Ababa, the pioneering role of the Kingdom in strengthening African health sovereignty.
Speaking at the extraordinary session of the AU Permanent Representatives Committee (COREP) which marked a decisive step in the fight against emerging pandemics on the continent, notably with the endorsement by the Africa CDC of the first Mpox PCR kit developed in Morocco, the diplomat highlighted the success of the Moroccan approach, based on innovation and regional collaboration, noting that the Kingdom and the Africa CDC are thus paving the way for increased health sovereignty in Africa in crisis management emerging pandemics.
In response to the health emergency posed by Mpox, Morocco designed a diagnostic PCR kit capable of detecting the virus with unequaled precision, recalled Mr. Arrouchi, stressing that this initiative received technical and scientific support from Africa CDC, demonstrating the continent’s capacity to produce competitive solutions, adapted to its realities.
In this sense, he noted that the Director General of the Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya congratulated Morocco which produced the first Mpox diagnosis which responded 100% to all the tests that were done.
According to Mr. Arrouchi, Jean Kaseya’s statement reflects the Africa CDC’s commitment to promoting endogenous solutions to fight pandemics, while promoting the continent’s economic accessibility and autonomy.
This progress illustrates the need for increased coordination between African States and regional institutions to anticipate and respond effectively to health crises, he observed, adding that this Moroccan initiative is a concrete example of African potential to transform challenges into opportunities, thereby strengthening the continent’s collective resilience in the face of future pandemics.
