Content created by Office of Global Affairs (OGA)
Contact:
Elana Clarke, PhD
Acting Director, Africa and Middle East Regional Office
Office of Global Affairs
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Email: globalhealth@hhs.gov
The Africa Regional Office provides essential diplomatic support for HHS’ work with sub-Saharan Africa. Wee maintains and strengthens relationships with sub-Saharan African governments, particularly Ministries of Health, and aligns partners from multilateral organizations, country governments and non-governmental organizations to protect and promote health and wellbeing across Africa. In particular, we coordinate with the WHO Africa Regional Office (AFRO) on disease outbreak response, the African Union (AU) and various other regional health organizations on the continent. The Team includes both individuals in Washington D.C. as well as a Health Attaché based in Pretoria, South Africa.
What We Do: Examples of Our Work
- Response to Disease Outbreaks: Provides diplomatic support and coordinates U.S. response to disease outbreaks as part of the interagency team as well as advise on the development of the Africa Center for Disease Control (ACDC).
- President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI): Coordinates HHS participation in PMI and supports the Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs as the HHS Principal on the Interagency Group for PMI.
- African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA): Plans and coordinates in partnership with USAID and U.S. Department of Commerce to present pressing health issues in Africa to African Ministers of Trade during the annual AGOA forum, drawing the connection between trade and health.