In North Africa, we are working to build regional and multisectoral cross-border capacity to manage biohazardous waste and samples containing weaponizable pathogens, strengthen laboratory biosafety and security, and survey, detect, and respond to pathogens of concern.

In Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco, laboratory capacity for diagnostics is largely competent, but biosafety and biosecurity measures are lagging behind. The goal of our project was to improve accountability and security of pathogens containing potentially weaponizable pathogens by developing and implementing scale-able, sustainable systems for sample inventory and security for high-risk laboratories in these countries. Our ongoing collaboration with Global Health and Development (GHD), the Libyan National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and National Centre for Animal Health (NCAH), and the Tunisian General Directorate of Public Health, Ministry of Health and Veterinary Services seeks to improve multisectoral coordination for the surveillance, detection, and response to priority transboundary diseases and especially dangerous pathogens in Libya and Tunisia.

In Libya, we are also working with GHD, the Libyan National Committee on Biosafety and Biosecurity, and the National Centre for Disease Control to establish a technical working group for waste management. The collaboration will design, plan, and deliver a training workshop for biological waste management in Libyan public health facilities. Our group also developed a tool designed for the self-assessment of biorisk management functions in a research or diagnostic laboratory for public and veterinary health. It has been specifically tailored to address common gaps and challenges observed in regional/sub-national laboratories in Libya, and draws from numerous international and regional guidance documents, assessment methodologies, and other resources.

Over the last year, we worked in partnership with GHD to engage public and private laboratories that receive, process, and store high consequence pathogens in Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya. Components of this project included mapping and assessment of diagnostic, biosafety and biosecurity capacities in the newly engaged laboratories and identification and participation of key laboratories to act as consortium leads across the three countries. The goal of this project was to create a pilot consortium for the three target countries with the potential to expand network membership to other countries in the North African region in the future

Public health emergency operation centers (PHEOCs) serve as a critical juncture in coordinating information and resources for incident preparedness, response, and recovery. Outbreak outcomes, particularly for zoonoses, are strengthened when multiple sectors are actively engaged. The purpose of this project is to help support a well-coordinated incident management approach at national and subnational-level PHEOCs in Kenya, Somalia, and Nigeria through integration of One Health principles into preparedness and emergency response operations.

During the first year of implementation, participants from the human, animal, and environmental health sectors attended a public health emergency management (PHEM) training workshop held in conjunction with the African Field Epidemiology Network Scientific Conference. The workshop-conference model helped sensitize participants to PHEM and practical applications of One Health, as well as provided opportunities for professional networking and collaboration. In addition, multi-country working groups were formed to foster the exchange of resources, best practices and lessons learned between PHEOCs settings.