ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 16 -- AT the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, sat down for an exclusive interview following her endorsement as the African Union Champion for Maternal, Child and Reproductive Health.

Her appointment was endorsed during the 39th AU Summit after the presentation of the 2025 Report of the Committee of Heads of State and Government on Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

The report focused on two principal areas: progress made in implementing Africa CDC programmes including key achievements and operational challenges and the impact of declining funding levels on the sustainability of its initiatives.

It also presented a draft Work Plan for 2026, whi...