The Integrated Genomic Surveillance and Data Sharing Platform and Integrated Genomic Surveillance for Outbreak Detection were officially announced on 24 April.

“These projects are poised to strengthen laboratory detection and surveillance of emerging, re-emerging, and endemic diseases, as well as antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in Africa,” said Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa CDC. 

“The increasing number of outbreaks is driven by complex ecological, climatic, political, economic, and social factors, all of which are becoming more exacerbated on our continent,” he said. 

“In the face of ongoing global health challenges…Fortifying multi-pathogen molecular detection and sequencing capabilities in the African Union is essential for global health security,” said Laurent Muschel, Acting Director General of the European Commission Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA).

The Africa CDC, HERA, the European Health and Digital Executive Agency, the African Society for Laboratory Medicine and the Africa Public Health Foundation are collaborating in the projects. Together with our partners, we’re building a collaborative network that strengthens our ability to respond to health threats in Africa.

The European Union-funded projects feed into the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative (Africa PGI 2.0) which, is a transition from emergency response to building an optimized, resilient, and integrated molecular diagnostic and genomic surveillance ecosystem.

Nqobile Ndlovu, Chief Executive Officer of ASLM, said the launch of the two projects is pivotal in devising scalable and sustainable approaches for integrating molecular diagnostics and sequencing within Africa’s routine surveillance structures. 

“We are eager to collaborate with the Africa CDC and HERA to strengthen laboratory systems ensuring effective responses to current and future health threats,” Ndlovu said.

The post Africa CDC and EU partner in new genomic surveillance and data-sharing projects appeared first on Africa CDC.

The kick-off meeting, convened at the Africa CDC Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, signified a pivotal moment in the collaboration between the African CDC and the European Commission Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) to strengthen outbreak detection and disease surveillance throughout Africa.

Through these projects implemented by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), Africa CDC, and HERA, in partnership with African Union (AU) Member States, the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) and the Africa Public Health Foundation (APHF), will strengthen national and regional capacities to promptly detect outbreaks, support the integration of AMR genomic surveillance, and facilitate swift and high-quality data sharing for public health decision-making.

His Excellency Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa CDC, emphasized the significance of this partnership stating, “The increasing number of outbreaks is driven by complex ecological, climatic, political, economic, and social factors, all of which are becoming more exacerbated on our continent. These projects are poised to strengthen laboratory detection and surveillance of emerging, re-emerging, and endemic diseases, as well as antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in Africa. They also highlight the strategic partnership between Africa CDC and the European Commission.”

Laurent Muschel, Acting Director General of HERA, emphasized, “In the face of ongoing global health challenges, Africa CDC and HERA are taking together concrete actions to strengthen detection of outbreaks, AMR genomic surveillance, and timely data sharing across Africa. Fortifying multi-pathogen molecular detection and sequencing capabilities in the African Union is essential for global health security.”

Africa CDC’s shift towards Africa PGI 2.0 signifies a transition from emergency response to building an optimized, resilient, and integrated molecular diagnostic and genomic surveillance ecosystem. It is critical and timely to incorporate lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, and empower national and regional reference laboratories to expand their capabilities to detect and characterize epidemic and pandemic-prone diseases. As demonstrated in previous outbreaks, molecular detection and genomic sequencing improves early detection and response to public health emergencies. Mr. Nqobile Ndlovu, CEO of ASLM, remarked, “The launch of the two projects is pivotal in devising scalable and sustainable approaches for integrating molecular diagnostics and sequencing within Africa’s routine surveillance structures. We are eager to collaborate with the Africa CDC and HERA to strengthen laboratory systems ensuring effective responses to current and future health threats”.

“APHF will continue to strengthen collaboration with the Africa CDC and HERA to support the flagship Pathogen Genomics Initiative (Africa PGI) and advance public health laboratory systems for pandemic preparedness and response.” Said Dr. Ebere Okereke, CEO of APHF

The Africa CDC is working with ASLM, APHF, Member States, the Africa Laboratory Technical Working Group, and other partners to ensure the effective and successful implementation of the two projects.

# #

For more information:

Dr. Sofonias Tessema, Program Lead, Africa PGI |Africa CDC| sofoniast@africacdc.org

Media inquiries:

Ms. Margaret Muigai Edwin, Director, Communication & Public Information Directorate: Africa CDC |

Tel: +255 742 635 592 | Email: edwinm@africacdc.org

About Africa CDC

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is the continental autonomous Health agency of the African Union that strengthens the capacity and capability of Africa’s public health institutions as well as partnerships to detect and respond quickly and effectively to disease threats and outbreaks, based on data-driven interventions and programmes. Learn more at: http://www.africacdc.org 

About Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority

The Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) is a directorate-general of the European Commission with a mission to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to health emergencies. HERA aims to assess potential health threats, promote research and development, manufacturing, procurement, and equitable distribution of key medical countermeasures to strengthen the EU’s health emergency preparedness and response. Learn more at https://commission.europa.eu

About Africa Public Health Foundation 

The Africa Public Health Foundation exists to forge partnerships and mobilize resources to support critical public health initiatives across the continent, in support of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Learn more at https://aphf.africa/

About African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) The African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) is a pan-African professional body working to advocate for the critical role and needs of laboratory medicine and networks throughout Africa. ASLM aims to strengthen healthcare systems through collaborative efforts with governments, local and international organizations, implementing partners, and the private sector. Learn more at www.aslm.org

The post Africa CDC launches initiatives to advance molecular diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa appeared first on Africa CDC.

1. Carnevale CR, Woldetsadik MA, Shiver A, Gutierrez M, Chhea C, Ilori E, Jani I, Ma-Cauley J, Mukonka V, Nsanzimana S, Ospina ML, Raji T, Spotts Whitney EA, Bratton S. Benefits and Challenges of Consolidating Public Health Functions into a National Public Health Institute: A Policy Analysis. Health Policy Plan. 2023 Jan 5: czac102. doi: 10.1093/heapol/czac102. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36610743.

2. Nzekwa N, Jimale MA, Orazi A, Colizzi V, Ndembi N. Europe and Africa: One continent in the university education The ERASMUS+ Programme. J Public Health Afr. 2023 Jan 27;14(1):2488. doi: 10.4081/jphia.2023.2488. PMID: 36798847; PMCID: PMC9926549.

3. Elnaiem A, Mohamed-Ahmed O, Zumla A, Mecaskey J, Charron N, Abakar MF, Raji T, Bahalim A, Manikam L, Risk O, Okereke E, Squires N, Nkengasong J, Rüegg SR, Abdel Hamid MM, Osman AY, Kapata N, Alders R, Heymann DL, Kock R, Dar O. Global and regional governance of One Health and implications for global health security. Lancet. 2023 Feb 25;401(10377):688-704. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01597-5. Epub 2023 Jan 19. PMID: 36682375.

4. Dalhat MM, Potet J, Abdulaziz Mohammed, Chotun N, Tesfahunei HA, Habib AG. Availability, accessibility and use of antivenom for snakebite envenomation in Africa with proposed strategies to overcome the limitations. Toxicon X. 2023 Feb 26;18:100152. doi: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2023.100152. PMID: 36936749; PMCID: PMC10015232.

5. Gossner CM, Hallmaier-Wacker L, Briet O, Haussig JM, de Valk H, Wijermans A, Bakonyi T, Madubuko T, Frank C, Noel H, Abdulaziz M. Arthropod-borne diseases among travellers arriving in Europe from Africa, 2015 to 2019. Euro Surveill. 2023 Feb;28(7):2200270. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.7.2200270. PMID: 36795503; PMCID: PMC9936595.

6. Odhiambo CO, van der Puije B, Maina M, Mekonen T, Diallo S, Datema T, Loembe MM, Kebede Y, Ndlovu N, Ondoa P. Examining 7 years of implementing quality management systems in medical laboratories in sub-Saharan Africa. Trop Med Int Health. 2023 Feb;28(2):126-135. doi: 10.1111/tmi.13839. Epub 2022 Dec 14. PMID: 36480459; PMCID: PMC10108081.

The post Published Papers Indexed in PUBMED CENTRAL (PMC) appeared first on Africa CDC.

Timely and efficient data transfer through the internet plays a critical role in establishing a real-time public health genomic surveillance system. However, limited bandwidth internet access remains a significant challenge in Africa, hindering the timely transfer of data and effective utilization of cloud-based or open-source web-based bioinformatics solutions and databases. To address this issue, the Africa PGI, in collaboration with ASLM, BMGF, and SpaceX, initiated a pilot project in September 2023. The primary objective of this project is to enhance access to high-speed satellite-based internet, enabling real-time, or near-real-time, transfer of pathogen genomic data and facilitating access to cloud-based resources. This high-speed internet service will not only improve data transfer but also enhance other internet-based operations such as communication, e-learning, virtual meetings, video conferences, and various other activities. The pilot project is being implemented in all Member States that have obtained regulatory approval for the operation of SpaceX’s satellite-based internet.

With the continuous expansion of the Africa CDC laboratory network, digital transformation becomes imperative to enhance efficiency. In November 2023, the Africa CDC introduced a laboratory network information management system (NIMS – https://www.pgi-nims-africacdc.org/) to monitor and facilitate informed decision-making on network operations. The NIMS system serves as a valuable resource for Africa CDC, centers of excellence, regional and national laboratories, enabling efficient tracking of biological sample shipments and ensuring their integrity during transit from referral sites to destination facilities across the network. This system also supports cross-border sample referrals for testing and sequencing. The NIMS system has undergone successful piloting for cross-border sample referral in four sites and is currently being implemented for in-country sample referral in one site. The integration of connectivity, digitization, and innovative solutions in public health genomics in Africa will contribute significantly to the detection, response, and control of infectious diseases. By strengthening genomics capacity, improving internet access, and digitizing laboratory operations, Africa is poised to harness the full potential of genomics for public health surveillance and outbreak management.

For media enquiries please contact:

Dorothy Njagi | Senior Communication Officer- Communication & Public Information directorate | Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention| African Union| email: email: njagid@africacdc.org  | Website: www.africacdc.org| Addis Ababa| Ethiopia| Facebook | Twitter

The post Digitizing public health genomics in Africa appeared first on Africa CDC.

Challenges
Establishing suitable training centres face challenges including building a facility that can adequately simulate real production processes, the creation of course content and the development of sustainable business models as the overall biomanufacturing ecosystem is established.
At present, several initiatives across Africa, including Institut Pasteur Dakar in Senegal, CSIR in South Africa, the University of the Western Cape also in South Africa, the Kemri Welcome Trust Research Program in Kenya, the EAC Regional Centre of Excellence for Vaccines, Immunization and Health Supply Chain Management in Rwanda, and the Kina Foundation in Ghana, are exploring options to establish such training centres. These
initiatives have secured some funding, although at the time or writing it is not clear what funding is for onetime capital investment and what is committed for continuous support for ongoing training. PAVM proposes to develop Regional Capability and Capacity Centre Networks (RCCCNs) to resolve the three main challenges in talent development: lack of coordination between local talent development initiatives, brain-drain of local
talent, and sustainable financing.

The post Business and Operational Models for African Biomanufacturing Training Centres appeared first on Africa CDC.

The initiative is built upon four strategic priorities. The first priority is to enhance foundational capacities by developing skilled workforce, and networks in the fields of molecular diagnostics, genomics and bioinformatics. The second priority is to strengthen data management, analysis, sharing and translation to inform public health response. The third priority is the implementation of high priority genomic use-cases for public health through an integrated genomic surveillance system. Finally, the fourth priority is to advocate for sustainability and enabling mechanisms through a collaborative community approach involving the whole community.

Through Africa PGI 2.0, Africa CDC is shifting its focus from emergency response to building an optimized, resilient, and integrated molecular diagnostic and genomic surveillance ecosystem.

Collaboration is at the heart of Africa PGI 2.0. as Africa CDC aims to strengthen the pivotal public-philanthropic-private partnerships and create the synergy needed to maximize the impact of genomics for disease control and prevention in Africa. By prioritizing capacity-building, data management, genomic surveillance, and collaboration, Africa PGI 2.0 sets the stage for leveraging genomics to address current and future public health challenges in Africa. Through this initiative, Africa is equipping itself with the necessary tools and expertise to lead the way in disease control and prevention through genomics.

The post Africa CDC launches the Africa PGI 2.0 flagship initiative appeared first on Africa CDC.

In May 2023, Africa CDC and AUDA-NEPAD convened sixty experts from across the continent and the globe to discuss concrete solutions for strengthening the impact and efficiency of the African clinical trials ecosystem, with the goal of speeding access to new lifesaving technologies in line with public health priorities. This meeting—rooted in aspirations of Africa’s Agenda 2063 and informed by the World Health Assembly clinical trials resolution—built upon discussions forged at the 2019 Pan African Clinical Trials Alliance meeting and in the sidelines of the 2022 Grand Challenges Annual Meeting. It was designed to:
• Diagnose and develop a collective vision for strengthening the African clinical trial ecosystem to drive more impact.
• Co-design a roadmap to drive efficiency and optimal impact for clinical trial pipelines in line with global initiatives on clinical trials.
• Identify priority funding, areas of harmonization in policy and practices, and opportunities for meeting participants to contribute to strengthening the ecosystem.

Participants agreed that despite the strengths and assets within the current clinical trial ecosystem, it is not equipped to effectively manage a global health product pipeline that is expected to grow in both complexity and size. A lack of overall coordination and ecosystem-wide weaknesses mean that individual investments in areas such as capacity strengthening and retention, digital infrastructure, trial design, and network strengthening have often yielded transactional gains that cannot be sustained over time.
Over three days, meeting participants examined all aspects of the clinical trial ecosystem and proposed concrete solutions, ultimately agreeing that there is an urgent need to reconfigure how coordination happens and how information, data, processes, and tools are shared and reported. They examined the opportunity to improve coordination across the continent to build more predictability for researchers, clinical trial funders, and sponsors; a stronger clinical trials workforce; more streamlined and efficient systems for collaboration; harmonized ethics and regulatory reviews; and better responsiveness to the needs of African research centers.

Participants together developed a shared vision for the African clinical trial ecosystem and developed several priority solutions that would enable this vision. They ultimately agreed that a coordination mechanism was needed to enable increased efficiency and impact and recommended that this mechanism be housed at Africa CDC and managed in partnership with AUDA-NEPAD, WHO AFRO, and AVAREF.
This mechanism should foster collaboration across funders and research sponsors, research networks and centers, industry partners, and community representatives, and that its mandate should include evaluation of the pipeline of clinical trials in line with African public health and research priorities, aligning on financing needs and mechanisms, building cohesive capacity strengthening partnerships, and driving evaluation of the impact of these changes on the clinical trial ecosystem. Participants prioritized a set of solutions that should be coordinated through this mechanism, including those that would strengthen clinical trial networks, advance innovative clinical trial design, harness digital innovations and efficiencies,
ensure sufficient capacity and capacity strengthening across the ecosystem, standardize policies and practices, and ensure effective engagement of communities and the public.
In the coming months, Africa CDC and AUDA-NEPAD will continue to engage with the African clinical research ecosystem and African Member States to shape and refine this coordination role, including through the evolution of a ten-year execution roadmap.

The post Meeting Report: Optimizing Efficiency and Impact in the African Clinical Trials Ecosystem appeared first on Africa CDC.

The post Tedi Tilahun Angasa appeared first on Africa CDC.

Lancé en novembre 2018, le RISLNET Afrique centrale a pour objectifs principaux de coordonner et intégrer les activités des laboratoires de santé publique, de surveillance et d’intervention d’urgence ; et de faciliter la mise en réseau entre les instituts nationaux de santé publique (INSP), les établissements universitaires, les laboratoires privés et publics, les centres d’excellence, les organisations non gouvernementales et de la société civile et les services vétérinaires. Ce dispositif joue notamment un rôle décisif dans la réduction du risque de propagation de maladies infectieuses entre États membres de l’Union africaine.

« L’organisation de cet atelier de formation sur la gestion des biorisques pour la région Afrique centrale s’inscrit dans l’un des objectifs spécifiques du RISLNET qui est de développer les compétences en santé publique pour le personnel de santé de première ligne en fournissant aux professionnels de laboratoire des connaissances sur les mesures de biosécurité et biosûreté. Le Centre de coordination régional de l’Afrique centrale du CDC Afrique se réjouit de la participation effective d’une grande majorité de ses États membres à cette formation qui leur permettra, à terme, de se conformer aux exigences en matière de biosécurité et de biosûreté », a indiqué M. Mbouna Ndong Armel, agent technique senior en charge des laboratoires.

Notons que les vingt-cinq participants à l’atelier régional de formation sur la gestion des biorisques dans les laboratoires en utilisant l’approche “une seule santé” sont les représentants du Burundi, du Cameroun, du Congo, de la Guinée équatoriale, de la République centrafricaine, de São Tomé-et-Principe et du Tchad. La caractérisation et l’évaluation des risques biologiques, les bonnes pratiques de travail de laboratoire, l’évaluation des risques liés à la biosécurité et la biosûreté, l’élimination des déchets biologiques en laboratoire ou encore l’établissement des buts, objectifs, rôles, responsabilités et indicateurs de performance liés à la gestion des biorisques sont, entre autres, les modules qui ont été enseignés durant les quatre jours d’atelier.

« En tant que vétérinaire, cette formation est importante pour moi car elle m’a permis d’acquérir des notions de biosécurité et biosûreté à mettre en œuvre aussi bien dans mon laboratoire de diagnostic vétérinaire que pendant nos interventions, notamment dans les fermes, les abattoirs, les établissements de stockage, de conservation et de transformation des produits d’origine animale », a déclaré Dr Lussakumunu Aude Prisca, cheffe de service contrôle de la qualité au ministère de l’Agriculture, de l’Élevage et de la Pêche du Congo.

À l’issue de l’atelier régional de formation sur la gestion des biorisques en utilisant l’approche « une seule santé », les participants ont passé un test d’évaluation des acquis dont le taux de réussite était de 92%.

##FIN##

À propos du CDC Afrique

Africa CDC est une institution technique spécialisée de l’Union africaine pour le renforcement des capacités et l’aptitude des institutions de santé publique africaines, ainsi que les partenariats, à détecter et à répondre rapidement et efficacement aux menaces et aux épidémies de maladies, sur la base d’interventions et de programmes fondés sur des données. Pour plus d’informations, veuillez consulter : http://www.africacdc.org 

À propos de l’Union africaine

L’Union africaine est le fer de lance du développement et de l’intégration de l’Afrique en étroite collaboration avec les États membres de l’Union africaine, les Communautés économiques régionales et les citoyens africains. Vision de l’UA : accélérer les progrès vers une Afrique intégrée, prospère et inclusive, en paix avec elle-même, jouant un rôle dynamique sur la scène continentale et mondiale, conduite efficacement par une Commission responsable, efficace et réactive. Pour plus d’informations, veuillez consulter : https://au.int/en/

Pour plus d’informations, merci de contacter :

Vivien Armel Ndong Mbouna | Agent technique senior de laboratoire | Centre de coordination régional de l’Afrique centrale du CDC Afrique | Courriel : vivienn@africa-union.org

Contact médias : Liliane Bilogho Ndong Nang| Agent technique chargé de la communication des risques et engagement communautaire| Centre de coordination régional de l’Afrique centrale du CDC Afrique| Courriel : nangl@africa-union.org

The post RISLNET : Les Professionnels de Laboratoire formés à la Gestion des Biorisques appeared first on Africa CDC.

In recent years, African countries have made great advances in capacity for laboratory testing for clinical use, surveillance and public health emergency management, and for research and development through substantial investments in infrastructure, including the deployment of large numbers of laboratory analyzers. However, weaknesses in laboratory equipment management remain key concerns and threaten to undermine these advances. Challenges include lack of appropriate maintenance, limited formal equipment operation and maintenance training, failure to implement regular calibration and institute service contracts, and inadequate designated equipment space, among others. Equipment management, which includes the administration, monitoring and maintenance of laboratory equipment, is an essential component of patient care, public health research, technology transfer, and public health emergency management.

Significant experience in equipment management has been gained in some settings in recent years and this provides a source for best practices that member states can adapt to support the establishment of well-organised equipment management programs. These include key considerations for procurement and acquisition of laboratory equipment, equipment operation, maintenance and calibration and retirement and disposal of equipment. Documentation and records are also essential management requirements, including a full and accurate inventory of all laboratory equipment, materials provided by the manufacturer on operation, maintenance and troubleshooting, and records of all preventive maintenance and repair actions.

This document assembles these best practices and provides a resource for the proper management of equipment in the laboratory to ensure accurate, reliable and timely testing, and maintain a high level of laboratory performance. Improved equipment management also lowers repair costs, lengthens instrument life, reduces interruption of services due to breakdowns and failures, and enables laboratory accreditation and the achievement of high-quality and accessible laboratory
services at all levels of healthcare service delivery.

The post Laboratory Equipment Management, A Guidance to African Union Member States appeared first on Africa CDC.