Strengthening African Capabilities to Prevent and Respond to Infectious Disease Outbreaks

This project supports capacity building in Central and West Africa to identify biological threats earlier and with more confidence alert the global community and mobilize resources to control and contain outbreaks in a timely manner. Project activities include: (1) delivering training exercises to health officials in Mauritania on detecting disease vectors in livestock and humans; (2) delivering training sessions to traditional healers in the Democratic Republic of Congo; (3) delivering training sessions on diagnosing emerging pathogens to laboratory staff in Cameroon the Democratic Republic of Congo Gabon Guinea Bissau Ivory Coast Mauritania and Senegal; and (4) providing diagnostic equipment and re-agents to laboratory staff in Cameroon Central African Republic the Democratic Republic of Congo Gabon Guinea Bissau Ivory Coast Mauritania and Senegal.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) increased screening immunization and treatment of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever and Rift Valley fever in Senegal; (2) increased reporting of suspected cases of emerging pathogens in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and (3) strengthened detection of emerging infectious pathogens in Cameroon the Central African Republic the Democratic Republic of Congo Gabon Guinea Bissau Ivory Coast Mauritania and Senegal.