The Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chung Byung-won, who is leading the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit Preparatory Office, had a meeting on November 2 with Jean Kaseya, the Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). During the meeting, they discussed health cooperation between Korea and Africa and the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit.

Africa CDC, launched in January 2017, is a specialized agency of the African Union (AU) aiming to strengthen African public health systems and respond to health emergencies.

Deputy Minister Chung welcomed the Director-General’s first visit to Korea, and appreciated that Africa has overcome health crises including COVID-19 through an effective continental response centered around Africa CDC, while recalling the active cooperation between Korea and Africa CDC in responding to COVID-19.

Director-General Kaseya expressed his gratitude for the welcome and expected that this visit to Korea would pave the way for deepening health cooperation with Korea, which has a robust health system and high-tech pharmaceutical companies. He requested the support of the Korean government.

Deputy Minister Chung stated that the Korean government will host the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit to establish a reciprocal, sustainable, and long-term cooperative relationship with Africa, and invited the Director-General of Africa CDC to the summit. He also emphasized the importance of the health sector in Korea-Africa cooperation, calling for continued collaboration to achieve tangible results in the field.

Director-General Kaseya highly appreciated Korea’s vision to strengthen diplomacy with Africa, and stated that Africa CDC hopes to enhance health cooperation with Korea. He promised to provide necessary support for the successful hosting of the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will make utmost efforts for the successful hosting of the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit, including continuing to expand high-level exchanges with Africa and laying the ground for strengthening relations and substantive cooperation with Africa.