Institutionalizing Excellence in Public Health Emergency Management: 2025 Reflections

Building a Stronger, More Coordinated Public Health Emergency System!

2025 was a pivotal year in Ethiopia’s public health journey, defined by strategic leadership, strengthened national and subnational systems, and strengthened partnerships which resulting in more effective and coordinated public health emergency preparedness and response at all levels.

Our emergency preparedness and response capabilities were tested and demonstrated repeatedly in 2025, with outbreaks including cholera, measles, Mpox and Marburg. We diligently activated Incident Management Systems, deployed rapid response and surge teams, strengthened laboratory testing, intensified surveillance at points of entry, and coordinated risk communication.

These responses showcased the importance of having predefined systems, fit for purpose workforce, clear coordination and dedicated leadership l in place before crises emerge. Furthermore, in efforts to mitigate future outbreaks and ensure a Polio Free Ethiopia, we carried out multiple large-scale vaccination campaigns nationally and in select regions, successfully immunizing over 26 million children with noPV2, and bOPV vaccines, ensuring that no child is left unvaccinated, and future generations are protected from this life-threatening virus.

This year we focused on infrastructure and digital transformation as a core pillar. On the digitalization front, the rollout and institutionalization of DHIS2, ePHEM, EIOS, and digital traveller health platforms enhanced real-time data capture, analysis, and use.

This has enabled data driven decision-making at national and subnational levels. Infrastructurally, throughout the year, national and subnational PHEM systems were strengthened in tangible ways. We renovated and upgraded existing physical infrastructure of our emergency operation centres at national and regional levels and establish new PHEOCs at the regional and district level to function with improved efficiency.

A critical enabler of these systems strengthening is our continued investment in workforce development. The expansion of the African Volunteers Health Corps surge roster, as well as FELTP graduates, Emergency Medical Teams, and supply chain experts has ensured that skilled professionals were available and deployable as required at all levels. We also organized full scale simulation exercises and various trainings to improve collaboration and strengthen response capacities to mitigate public health emergencies.

Another crucial achievement this past year, which translates to strengthened preparedness and border health security was the completion of Ethiopia’s Population Mobility Map. Identifying formal and informal border crossing, as well as high mobility corridors allows for improved surveillance, preparedness, and response activities at our points of entry. In line with this, this past year we have invested in developing the physical and digital infrastructure of our land and air border crossing sites enabling improved screening and service delivery to travellers arriving in and departing from Ethiopia.

The highlight of this year was our official launch of the Public Health Emergency Management Centre of Excellence initiative(PHEM-CoE)—a flagship manifesto designed to consolidate governance, align investments, and anchor long-term capacity building at all levels to ensure Ethiopia’s continued development in emergency preparedness and response capacities. This initiative is a testament of our commitment to hold ourselves to high standards of leadership, coordination, and proficiency across the PHEM cycle, positioning Ethiopia as a pioneer and hub of excellence for the rest of Africa.

As strategic leadership is a lifeline in ensuring effective and efficient public health emergency management, over the year, we actively carried out regular performance reviews, joint planning forums, and leadership sessions, allowing us to translate strategy into operational efficiency.

We acknowledge that these great gains were made possible by robust, well-aligned partnerships dedicated to ensuring the public health security of Ethiopia. Our collaboration with the Ministry of Health, regional health bureaus and regional administrations, public health institutes, line ministries, communities, and partners including donors and implementing agencies ensured that key interventions were given priority at all levels.

This year end, I would like to reflect upon and extend my appreciation to our colleagues and experts who work diligently towards realizing these successes, to the visionary leadership that continues to propel us forward, and to our partners and friends whose support we could not do without. We have come a long way this past year, and I invite you all to come along with us in 2026 as we scale to new heights- a Public Health Emergency Management Centre of Excellence.

Melkamu Abte Afele (MD, MPH, Msc)

Deputy Director General, Ethiopian Public Health Institute

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