Nature: Highway to health
Editorial Board

“…Although the goal is excellent and the effort should be cautiously welcomed, the plans for the African [CDC] are woefully inadequate. In terms of funds and staff — at least initially — it will be in no position to achieve its lofty ambitions. … That Africa seems to want to assume political ownership of its response to public health emergencies, rather than relying largely on outside agencies and support, can only be welcomed. Yet there is a risk that the creation of this skeletal agency might provide an excuse for complacency and inaction by politicians in Africa and globally. And the underlying problems that leave many countries vulnerable to disease outbreaks will not be solved by an African health agency alone, however robust and however desirable…” (4/22).