فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
On Monday, December 8, the African Partnership for Outbreak Response Alliance (PORA) workshop “PORA Morocco 2025” began in Rabat, under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces. The workshop is organized by the Royal Armed Forces in partnership with the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM).
The work of this workshop, which carries the theme “Strengthening Health Security: Activating Civil-Military Cooperation in Epidemic Preparedness and Response,” continues until December 12, with the participation of military and civilian experts from more than 38 African countries alongside their American counterparts.
The workshop aims to strengthen continental partnership in facing health threats and develop an effective network for early detection and rapid response to epidemics, through the exchange of expertise on epidemic surveillance, crisis management, emergency communication, climate change impacts, and national capacity building.
In an opening speech, General Physician Omar Akder, Assistant Inspector of Military Health Services in the Royal Armed Forces, emphasized that public health has become a fundamental strategic challenge for stability and development today, calling for strengthening African health resilience through proactive and coordinated action between the civilian and military sectors.
For his part, Colonel Physician Julius Nforbugahay, President of the PORA Alliance, stressed the importance of unifying efforts and sharing data and best practices, saying: “Through joint field coordination, we build the health security of tomorrow’s Africa.”
Mr. Mohammed Lyoubi, Director of the Directorate of Epidemiology and Disease Control at the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, also highlighted the depth of civil-military cooperation in Morocco, citing the participation of military experts in national committees and the contribution of military laboratories in diagnosing emerging diseases.
In a statement to the press, Colonel Physician Khalid Ennibi, Head of the Virology and Infectious and Tropical Diseases Center at Mohammed V Military Hospital, explained that health threats no longer recognize borders, requiring an integrated African system for early detection and effective response, despite challenges related to climate change and limited resources.
It should be noted that the PORA initiative was launched in 2014 by AFRICOM in the wake of the Ebola crisis, and currently includes 38 African countries within a decentralized governance framework, with the goal of achieving a continent free from major epidemics through close cooperation between armed forces and civilian authorities in the areas of prevention, detection, and response.
Morocco’s hosting of this workshop is further evidence of its steadfast commitment to strengthening South-South cooperation and effective contribution to continental health security, in line with the visionary royal vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
