Lilongwe, Nov 21 (IANS): Africa's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director General Jean Kaseya has urged African countries to invest in local manufacturing of drugs and reduce dependence on others outside the continent.

While addressing the opening of the 52nd Board Meeting of the Global Fund Tuesday in Lilongwe, the Malawian capital, Kaseya described local manufacturing as the second independence of Africa, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said it is not acceptable for Africa to 'beg' for vaccines elsewhere to fight outbreaks such as Covid-19, Marburg virus disease, cholera, and mpox while the vaccine and the technology are available.

According to the Africa CDC chief, there are some countries on the continent manufacturing antiretroviral drugs while others continue to order medicine from outside.

He stressed that failure to promote the continent's own drugs or vaccines is a failure to support Africa's public health agenda and Africa's peace and security.

Kaseya also called on Global Fund, a private-public partnership, to continue partnering with African countries and support them to better manage resources and be accountable.

World Health Organisation (WHO) Assistant Director General Jerome Salomon agreed with Kaseya on the need for strong partnerships between African countries and the Global Fund.

Salomon, who is also WHO's representative in the Global Fund Board, noted that with only five years to go, countries worldwide are off track regarding health targets, especially the Target 3.3 of Sustainable Development Goals to end AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, among other diseases, by 2030.

"Difficult times call for more international solidarity. We can only achieve more if we work together. So, partnerships are more important this time than ever," he said.

The two-day Global Fund board meeting, which ended on Wednesday, drew over 300 delegates, including health ministers and representatives of the United Nations and other international organisations from across the globe.