Various regional health experts are in Harare for the next two days to look at ways of strengthening public health institutes to avoid the disaster that was encountered during the COVID-19 era. African countries were caught wanting during that era and most if not all of the regional nations had to rely on foreign goodwill especially from China. Through the Africa CDC, and WHO, a regional National Public Health Institute framework was formed four years ago, to foster cooperation but the meeting is taking place amidst an outcry after the US health fund withdrawal. More from John Cassim, our Correspondent based in Harare, Zimbabwe