Africa CDC, in collaboration with the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), has officially unveiled the 2026–2030 Biosafety and Biosecurity Initiative (BBI) Strategy. Launched at the Global Health Security Conference (GHS 2026) in Kuala Lumpur, this ambitious five-year roadmap is designed to radically strengthen national health systems, expand specialized workforce capacity, and drastically improve preparedness for biological threats across the continent.
The launch offered a pivotal moment to review the massive strides made since Africa’s first continental biosecurity strategy was introduced in 2021. Since 2022, more than 650 professionals have been trained and certified through the continental programme. Additionally, five regional Biosafety and Biosecurity Technical Working Groups alongside dedicated regional Centres of Excellence have been established to support member states.
“The first phase was about building the foundation. The next phase is about scaling impact, strengthening national ownership, and ensuring sustainability,” said Zibuziso Masuku, Programme Lead for Biosafety and Biosecurity at Africa CDC.
Shifting Focus to National Ownership and Tech Threats
The newly minted 2026–2030 strategy shifts the continental focus from merely building basic systems to ensuring they are fully integrated, sustainable, and entirely country-owned. The roadmap outlines seven priority areas: governance, workforce development, laboratory systems, legal frameworks, partnerships, innovation, and sustainable financing. Crucially, the strategy also addresses modern, high-tech challenges, including cyber-biosecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), and rapid advances in biotechnology.
For ASLM, the ultimate goal of the initiative extends far beyond basic training metrics and classroom certifications.
“Success is not just about how many people we train or how many centres we establish,” said Dr. Talkmore Maruta, ASLM Director of Programmes. “The real measure is whether countries are able to use these capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to biological threats.”
The Economics of Prevention and Stronger Governance
A high-level panel discussion featuring global and regional biosafety leaders reinforced a central truth: long-term biosecurity is impossible without local funding. While international development partners have played a catalytic role, speakers emphasized that African nations must increasingly invest their own domestic resources to ensure long-term resilience.
“Preparedness is always less expensive than response,” noted Nathalie Charbonneau, Director of the Weapons Threat Reduction Program at Global Affairs Canada. “Investing in biosafety and biosecurity today helps countries avoid much greater costs tomorrow.”
Panelists also highlighted that technical expertise alone cannot protect a population without robust laws and national biosafety committees to enforce accountability.
“Without appropriate legislation, governance structures and accountability mechanisms, it becomes difficult to sustain progress and secure long-term investment,” warned Dr. Anne-Mari Venter, Chair of the Southern Africa Biosafety and Biosecurity Technical Working Group.
Designing Solutions from the Ground Up
As Africa continues to navigate emerging infectious diseases, laboratory-associated risks, and complex biological threats, the new strategy signals a permanent shift from regional momentum to local execution. Leaders emphasize that the people on the frontlines must guide how these policies are implemented.
“The people doing the work must be part of designing the solutions,” said Dr. Andrew Kibuuka, Chair of the East Africa Biosafety and Biosecurity Technical Working Group. “Technical working groups have succeeded because they bring together practitioners who understand the realities on the ground.”
Over the next five years, the focus of the BBI Strategy will be to ensure that these newly built capacities translate into practical, daily protections for communities, safeguarding Africa’s collective health security for generations to come.
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