SA enhances pandemic readiness

SOUTH Africa is reinforcing its leadership role in global pandemic preparedness through a major expansion of its genomic surveillance partnership with Germany and the European Union. The next phase of the Genomic Surveillance Project was officially launched on 24 June at the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), Stellenbosch University’s premier epidemic response institute based at its Tygerberg campus.

The project is a collaboration between CERI and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), under the broader

SAVax Programme. SAVax is co-funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union (EU), and is implemented in partnership with South Africa’s Department of Health and Department of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The new phase brings an additional R9 million in funding, bringing the total investment in the project to R12 million. This funding will allow CERI to continue surveillance of high-priority pathogens, including respiratory threats such as Avian Influenza H5N1 and emerging coronaviruses.

“South Africa is uniquely positioned to play this role,” said Katja Fuehrer, Specialist for Monitoring and Evaluation, Communication, and Commission Management at GIZ.

“The country has a strong industrial base, a highly skilled workforce, and some of the world’s leading research institutions. With SAVax, we are tapping into those strengths to bolster Africa’s ability to respond to future pandemics more independently and effectively.”

The first phase of the project, which ran from 2023 to 2024, sequenced over 1 000 pathogen genomes, trained more than 50 African scientists, and improved data-sharing protocols to support more effective outbreak responses. The new phase aims to scale these efforts even further by expanding genomic surveillance of respiratory pathogens, strengthening lab capacity in under-resourced provinces, and investing in the training of scientists at historically disadvantaged institutions in South Africa.

Establishing robust systems to monitor and analyse genetic information from pathogens helps South Africa to quickly detect and track changes in viruses proactively. This allows for faster responses to outbreaks and enhances pandemic preparedness in the country and the entire region.

The launch event at CERI featured a tour of laboratories, a panel discussion, and a grant award ceremony attended by senior officials and diplomats.

“We are delighted to expand the collaboration with South Africa,” said

Fulgencio Garrido Ruiz, EU Deputy Ambassador to South Africa. “There is one aspect at the core of the approach which is research and development. A robust local research framework that enhances self-sufficiency and empowers nations to respond independently to health crisis.”

To date, the Team Europe Initiative MAV+ has mobilised more than 700 million euro’s in South Africa, with 10 million euro’s allocated to research infrastructure alone.

Sven Hartwig, Deputy Consul General at the German Consulate General in Cape Town, echoed this sentiment. “It is an honour for the German cooperation to contribute to the Team Europe Initiative MAV+.”