Nairobi, Kenya. 12–13 June 2025.
Building on momentum from earlier regional consultations, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), in collaboration with the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), convened the East Africa Regional Consultative Meeting in Nairobi.
The two-day gathering brought together technical experts, policymakers, and implementing partners from across the region to co-create a roadmap for East Africa’s contributions to the 2025–2030 Biosafety and Biosecurity (BSBS) Strategic Plan. Hosted by the East Africa Regional Biosafety and Biosecurity Technical Working Group (TWG), the meeting highlighted the region’s growing leadership in shaping the continent’s health security future.
The consultation involved 14 East African member states: Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Somalia, Mauritius, Seychelles, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Djibouti, Comoros, Madagascar, Sudan, and Eritrea. Key partners included the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) under United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI).
This third consultative forum, following Northern and Southern Africa meetings offered a critical platform to align East Africa’s national priorities with continental biosafety and biosecurity goals. It comes at a time when regional coordination and domestication of BSBS frameworks are more important than ever. The BSBS initiative continues to receive robust support from the Government of Canada and the United Kingdom (UK), under the G7-led Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, as well as from CEPI and the World Bank.
Deliberations in Nairobi focused on assessing achievements and challenges from the 2021–2025 BSBS Strategy, while identifying practical, scalable actions for the next phase. Anchored in the Signature Initiative to Mitigate Biological Threats in Africa (SIMBA), the meeting underscored the importance of sustainable, locally driven solutions to strengthen national systems, bolster regional coordination, and advance East Africa’s preparedness for biological threats.
during the Opening Ceremony
Some of the key takeaways from the 2021–2025 strategy review meeting include; Africa CDC’s leadership has played a vital role in steering regional efforts, fostering partnerships, and encouraging harmonization across Member States, Legislative and institutional deficiencies remain a challenge in East Africa, with many countries lacking comprehensive biosafety and biosecurity laws, Funding sustainability is a concern, as many programs continue to rely heavily on external partners and limited access to local training and certification programs has constrained capacity development across the region.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Esther Siglai, Director of Medical Laboratory Services from Kenya’s Ministry of Health reaffirmed the nation’s dedication to regional health security:
“Kenya remains committed to working alongside our neighbors and Africa CDC to address biosafety and biosecurity challenges holistically. Our systems must be strong, legally sound, and ready to detect and respond to threats.”
Dr. Talkmore Maruta, Director of Programs at ASLM, emphasized the importance of Member State ownership and leadership:
“We cannot do it alone; achieving biosafety and biosecurity goals requires the active involvement of every Member State. Greater advocacy to key decision-makers remains essential. ASLM is committed to continuing its support to Member States in advancing the BSBS initiatives.”
Dr. Yenew Kebede, Head of Laboratory Systems and Network at Africa CDC, highlighted the strategic significance of the consultation:
“This regional consultation represents a key opportunity to take stock of our progress over the past five years. As we engage with Member States, we are not only reviewing lessons learned but also shaping a country-driven, sustainable strategy that strengthens laboratory infrastructure and invests in the health workforce.”
The Nairobi consultation will feed directly into the development of the new 2025–2030 BSBS Strategic Plan. The next regional consultations are scheduled to take place in Libreville, Gabon (Central Africa), and Abuja, Nigeria (West Africa), later in June 2025.
By gathering insights from across the continent, Africa CDC aims to develop a unified, resilient, and context-specific BSBS strategy that safeguards Africa’s health security now and for generations to come.