Africa CDC Regional Collaborating Centres

Africa CDC Regional Collaborating Centres
Name	Africa CDC Regional Collaborating Centres
Formation	2017
Headquarters	Addis Ababa
Parent organization	African Union
Region served	Africa

Africa CDC Regional Collaborating Centres are a network of specialized public health hubs created to strengthen public health coordination across Africa by linking the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention with regional institutions. Launched to support continental responses to outbreaks, the Centres coordinate surveillance, laboratory systems, emergency preparedness, and workforce development in partnership with regional economic communities and multilateral actors.

Background and Establishment

The concept emerged after high-profile outbreaks such as the 2014 Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa, which highlighted gaps identified by inquiries including the WHO Ebola Interim Assessment Panel and recommendations from the United Nations Security Council discussions on health emergencies. Endorsed by the African Union Heads of State and Government at an extraordinary session, the initiative built on precedents like the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases and lessons from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (United States), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and Pan American Health Organization cooperation. The formal announcement coincided with Africa CDC's foundation by the African Union Commission and leadership from figures linked to institutions such as the World Health Organization and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Mandate and Functions

The Centres were tasked to operationalize mandates articulated in continental frameworks including the Africa Health Strategy and the African Union Agenda 2063, aligning with international instruments such as the International Health Regulations (2005). Core functions include strengthening surveillance networks exemplified by the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System, coordinating laboratory networks akin to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative infrastructure, supporting outbreak response mechanisms observed in responses to Lassa fever, Yellow fever, and COVID-19 pandemic events, and facilitating vaccine deployment strategies similar to past meningitis campaigns. They also support cross-border initiatives coordinated with entities like the Economic Community of West African States and the East African Community.

Regional Network and Locations

The network comprises regional hubs hosted by national and regional institutions across Africa, reflecting geographic divisions used by bodies such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank. Host sites include institutes modeled on the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (South Africa), and university-linked centres such as Makerere University and University of Nairobi. Each Regional Collaborating Centre interfaces with subregional blocs like the Southern African Development Community, Economic Community of Central African States, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, enabling linkages with specialized entities including the Africa Food Safety Network and laboratory consortia inspired by the Global Health Security Agenda.

Governance and Partnerships

Governance arrangements draw on precedents from the African Union Commission, with oversight mechanisms influenced by the African Union Peace and Security Council model and advisory inputs from bodies like the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Board. Strategic partnerships span international organizations including the World Health Organization, funders such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, philanthropy from the Wellcome Trust and the Rockefeller Foundation, and technical partners like US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Public Health England. Collaborations also involve research consortia associated with institutions like Johns Hopkins University, Imperial College London, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and regional medical schools including Stellenbosch University.

Key Programmes and Initiatives

Programmes focus on epidemic intelligence inspired by systems like the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response framework, laboratory network strengthening modeled on the Global Laboratory Network for Poliomyelitis, and workforce initiatives similar to the Field Epidemiology Training Programmes run by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (United States). Initiatives include rapid response teams coordinated with Emergency Medical Teams registries, genomic surveillance partnerships informed by studies at the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform, and antimicrobial resistance projects building on the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System. Vaccine readiness work draws on lessons from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance campaigns and regional cold chain improvements paralleling efforts by the United Nations Children's Fund.

Capacity Building and Training

Capacity efforts incorporate training modules from established programmes at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of Pretoria, and the African Field Epidemiology Network. Activities include short courses, simulation exercises modeled on Operation RESOLVE-style drills, laboratory mentorships similar to African Society for Laboratory Medicine initiatives, and postgraduate collaborations with institutions like Makerere University School of Public Health and University of Ghana. They also support credentialing aligned with standards from the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa and encourage research exchanges with centres such as the Pasteur Institute in Paris.

Achievements and Impact

The Centres contributed to coordinated responses during the 2018–2020 Kivu Ebola epidemic, supported laboratory confirmation during the 2019–2020 West Africa measles outbreak, and helped scale diagnostics during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. They facilitated regional genomic sequencing collaborations paralleling efforts at the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform and aided cross-border surveillance in corridors studied by the The Brookings Institution and Chatham House. Tangible impacts include expansion of diagnostic capacity at host institutes, faster deployment of rapid response teams, and strengthened ties with donors such as the African Development Bank and multilateral partners like the World Bank.

Challenges and Future Directions

Challenges include disparities in infrastructure between host nations like Nigeria and South Africa, logistical bottlenecks akin to those noted during the 2014 West Africa Ebola epidemic, and sustainable financing concerns highlighted by analyses from The Lancet and BMJ. Future directions emphasize integration with continental strategies such as Africa Health Strategy 2016–2030, deeper engagement with regional economic communities including the Economic Community of West African States, advancement of genomic surveillance in collaboration with entities like the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative, and securing long-term support from funders including the Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust. Strengthening legal frameworks will involve interaction with instruments such as the African Union Constitutive Act and international norms like the International Health Regulations (2005).

Category:Public health in Africa Category:International medical and health organizations Category:African Union institutions