Africa CDC and Africa Frontline First sign agreement to scale community health workforce across Africa

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and Africa Frontline First have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at accelerating the deployment of 200,000 Community Health Workers across the continent.

The agreement was signed in Nairobi, Kenya, during the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026, marking a renewed commitment to strengthening Africa’s community health systems and advancing primary healthcare delivery.

The partnership builds on collaboration efforts between 2023 and 2025 and outlines a joint action plan for 2026–2028. It combines Africa Frontline First’s financing and technical support with Africa CDC’s leadership role in coordinating public health initiatives across African Union member states.

The initiative supports the African Union’s target of deploying 2 million polyvalent Community Health Workers by 2030, with a focus on integrating these workers into national health systems and strengthening long-term health resilience.

Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya said the partnership is critical to accelerating progress toward Africa’s health security and sovereignty agenda, emphasising the need to move from commitments to measurable outcomes in community health expansion.

Africa Frontline First Co-Executive Director Nan Chen highlighted the importance of sustainable financing and system durability, noting that community health systems must be structured to withstand shifts in donor priorities and ensure long-term resilience.

Between 2023 and 2025, the collaboration contributed to the mobilisation of over 106,000 Community Health Workers and supported more than 900 million US dollars in financing commitments for community health programmes. It also advanced digital systems, surveillance tools and integrated health data platforms to improve service delivery and accountability.

The new agreement prioritises scaling deployment, increasing domestic financing, strengthening training and certification systems, integrating community health workers into primary healthcare structures, and improving programme evaluation mechanisms.

Officials said the partnership reflects a broader shift toward integrated and system-driven community health models designed to improve access to care, particularly in underserved and hard-to-reach communities across Africa.