The World Health Organization (WHO), the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), alongside the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom, today announced a significant expansion of their unique partnership aimed at strengthening collaborative surveillance across the African continent. This initiative is a critical step in bolstering Africa’s capacity to detect and respond to disease outbreaks more effectively, given that the continent experiences more outbreaks than any other region globally.
The expanded “Health Security Partnership to Strengthen Disease Surveillance in Africa (HSPA),” initially launched in 2023, is now extending its reach to seven African countries. The successful first phase saw implementation in The Gambia, Mali, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, and Tunisia. For its second phase, running from 2025 to 2028, Rwanda will join the collaborative effort.
At the heart of the HSPA is a collaborative surveillance approach that bridges health and security sectors. This integrated strategy aims to reduce biological risks and strengthen surveillance systems both nationally and internationally. The partnership aligns with broader global health security efforts, including the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction and the Signature Initiative to Mitigate Biological Threats in Africa (SIMBA).
Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa and Deputy Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, emphasized the partnership’s significance. “HSPA represents an important step forward in building stronger collaborations for health security in Africa,” he stated. “By bringing together global, regional, and national actors, this initiative supports countries in strengthening Collaborative Surveillance through mutual exchange and practical action.”
The partnership equips participating countries with enhanced capacities in crucial areas such as biorisk management, event and indicator-based surveillance, genomic surveillance, and epidemic intelligence. This support is delivered through comprehensive training programs, development of guidance materials, co-creation of implementation roadmaps, and hands-on technical assistance, ensuring the initiatives are tailored to country needs, integrated into existing national systems, and sustainable in the long term.
Dr. Raji Tajudeen, Acting Deputy Director General and Head of the Division of Public Health Institutes and Research at Africa CDC, highlighted the project’s role in mobilizing political will for biosecurity and surveillance. “Africa CDC will work with Member States in mobilizing political will for biosecurity and surveillance, establishing regional frameworks for bio-surveillance of high-consequence biological agents and toxins, and coordinating event-based surveillance,” he affirmed.
Building on the successes of phase one, the expanded partnership is set to accelerate efforts towards creating a healthier, safer, and more resilient Africa, better equipped to face current and future public health challenges with robust surveillance and response systems.
