The public health systems in Africa are under growing pressure. The sharp 70% drop in official development assistance (ODA) risks weakening critical health programmes, while a rise in public health emergencies continues to stretch already fragile infrastructure.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) – the public health agency of the African Union – recognises that these are not isolated challenges. They present a fundamental threat to Africa’s political, social, and economic resilience, with far-reaching implications to global stability.

In this episode, Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General at the Africa CDC, discusses the agency’s mandate to support AU member states in advancing public health priorities and strengthening the capacity of national health institutions to respond to disease threats.

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The uptick in armed conflicts across Africa in recent years has challenged peacebuilding efforts and upset a trajectory towards continental stability.

In this episode, HE Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security the AU’s goal of silencing the guns by 2030, the evolution of peacekeeping, and his vision for a more peaceful and secure Africa.

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In this episode, Tim Eaton and Lubna Yousef discuss their latest research on how transnational human smuggling has fuelled conflict in Libya through a systems analysis of three key transit cities – Kufra, Sebha and Zawiya.

Using this approach, their research examines the roles played by conflict and social dynamics in the expansion of human smuggling and trafficking – thus helping uncover critical gaps in policies aimed at addressing the rapid rise of migration.

This episode was produced with support from the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy, and Trends (XCEPT) research programme, funded by UK International Development.

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