From September 7 to 11, 2026, Yaoundé hosts the 12thᵉWorkshop of the Collaboration for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation (CAPSCA) Africa. Launched on September 7, this workshop will end on September 11, 2026.
An airplane can transport passengers, but also, unintentionally, a health threat beyond borders. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown how quickly a crisis can disrupt international travel and severely strain surveillance systems. On a continent regularly confronted with epidemic outbreaks, the preparedness of the aviation sector thus appears as a crucial link in the response. It is in this context that the 12th [event/meeting] is being held in Yaoundé.ᵉA workshop on public health emergency preparedness in the aviation sector, held in conjunction with the CAPSCA Africa annual meeting, will take place from September 7 to 11, 2026, at the EFO-CCAA in Yaoundé. This workshop brings together representatives from civil aviation and other stakeholders involved in managing health risks in air
transport. The objective is to strengthen the knowledge and mechanisms enabling the various stakeholders to respond effectively when a public health event occurs in or around an airport.
Actors must be able to respond to crises
For Paule Avomo Assoumou Koki, Director General of the Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority, the need to strengthen the capacities of airport stakeholders has become urgent. “We are asking for these stakeholders at our airports to be equipped to respond to public health crises,” she explains, recalling that the Covid-19 pandemic revealed the shortcomings in the civil aviation sector’s preparedness for health emergencies. She also emphasizes the proximity of new health threats to the continent. “Right now, we have a public health crisis in Uganda and the DRC,” she notes. In this context, she considers airports to be particularly important points of entry when a health crisis occurs, hence the need to strengthen their capacity to quickly detect threats, raise the alarm, and coordinate the response.
CAPSCA, strengthening cooperation between aviation and health
CAPSCA, or Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation, is an initiative of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), developed with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO). Its aim is to improve the preparedness of the aviation sector for events that could have public health consequences. In Yaoundé, participants are expected to share their experiences, strengthen the skills of professionals, and improve collaboration between health authorities, civil aviation authorities, airport managers, and other stakeholders in air transport. The challenge is twofold: to be able to act quickly when a threat is detected, while ensuring that the measures taken do not unnecessarily disrupt the movement of people and goods.
The aviation industry thus intends to make health preparedness a reflex rather than an emergency response.
Marie Chantale FAIDA
