Mutare, Zimbabwe | 6 April 2025 — Zimbabwe has become the sixth African Union (AU) Member State to officially begin domesticating the regionally endorsed Biosafety and Biosecurity (BSBS) legislative framework, joining Zambia, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, and Botswana. This milestone marks significant progress under the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)’s Biosafety and Biosecurity Initiative (BBI), in partnership with the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) and AU Member States, and with support from the Government of Canada through the G7-led Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, under the SIMBA (Signature Initiative to Mitigate Biological Threats in Africa) program.
According to the Global Health Security Index Report (GHSI) 2019, 66% of AU Member States currently lack biosafety policies, 81% have no biosecurity policies in place, and a staggering 99% lack oversight mechanisms for Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC). The BBI was launched to address these pressing gaps and emerging biological threats by focusing on key priorities, including:
- Lack of regional and national coordination in BSBS efforts
- Absence or inadequacy of relevant policies and legislation
To that end, the BBI has developed a comprehensive five-year strategic plan, outlining:
- The development of a BSBS legal framework tailored to the African context
- Establishment of regional and national BSBS Technical Working Groups (TWGs)
- Creation of a regional training and certification program for BSBS professionals
- Implementation of a regulatory and certification framework for institutions handling high-risk pathogens
- Strengthen National Public Health Institutes and National Reference Laboratories capacities to prevent, detect and respond to events of public health concerns.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Talkmore Maruta, Director of Programs at ASLM, celebrated Zimbabwe’s progress:
“We are very pleased that Zimbabwe has joined other AU Member States—like Zambia, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Lesotho, Botswana, Mali, Namibia, and Eswatini—who are at various stages of domesticating the BSBS legislative framework. Creating a conducive legal environment for enforcement and compliance is essential. As Aristotle once said, ‘Law is order, and good law is good order.’ The step we are taking this week is just the beginning of what will be a long, yet necessary, journey.”
Dr. Charles Guri, the Provincial Veterinary Director for Manicaland, responsible for operations at Mutare Provincial Veterinary Laboratory, emphasized the importance of the national workshop, calling it “a vital step in Zimbabwe’s journey to strengthening its BSBS capacity.” He added: “We aim to review our existing legal framework, identify critical gaps, and develop practical recommendations for improvement.”
Representing the Zimbabwe Biosafety and Biosecurity Technical Working Group (ZBB-TWG), Ms. Annah R. Takombwa highlighted the work already underway by the technical working group, including personnel capacity building. “This meeting marks a significant step toward aligning our national legal frameworks with continental and global standards, while ensuring they are effectively tailored to our local context,” she said. “These discussions will lay the foundation for a robust, sustainable legal environment that enhances our biosecurity preparedness, response, and resilience—not only in Zimbabwe but across the region.”
This landmark workshop signals Zimbabwe’s commitment to building a secure and sustainable biosafety and biosecurity system that protects public health and national security. Moving forward, it is important that Zimbabwe strengthens structures with the mandate to coordinate and enforce compliance to multisectoral BSBS requirements.