New Continental Plan to Bring Lab Testing Closer to Communities in Africa
A new framework aimed at decentralising laboratory services and enhancing early outbreak detection has been launched by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Developed in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in collaboration with partners and funded by the EU-backed PAMTA programme, the framework outlines steps to expand diagnostics beyond national laboratories. It emphasises workforce training, sample transport, data integration and quality assurance, drawing on mpox testing experiences in Burundi and the DRC.
“Member States cannot respond effectively to outbreaks if diagnostic capacity is limited to national reference laboratories. Detection capabilities must be decentralized to sub-national levels and below to enhance early warning surveillance and timely confirmation of disease threats,” said Dr. Yenew Kebede Tebeje, Acting Director, Centre for Laboratory Diagnostics and Systems, Africa CDC. “Decentralized laboratory services are also essential for achieving Universal Health Coverage.”
Dr. Kakambi Christelle, a senior official from Cameroon’s Ministry of Public Health, shared the country’s approach to decentralizing diagnostics for epidemic-prone diseases.
📥 Read the full brief in your preferred language:
👉 English PDF – Africa CDC Weekly Brief | 14 – 20 July 2025
👉 Version française – Bulletin Hebdomadaire d’Africa CDC | 14 – 20 Juillet 2025
🔗 For direct inquiries or media engagement: communications@africacdc.org
