VillageReach commences programme to strengthen epidemic preparedness and response across Africa

VillageReach has launched a programme funded by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited to enhance laboratory sample referral and transportation systems for epidemic-prone infectious diseases across Africa.

This initiative, which commenced in January 2025, will strengthen health systems in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guinea, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda.

The programme addresses critical barriers to diagnosing infectious diseases such as polio, measles, yellow fever, Ebola, mpox and cholera by improving sample transport systems, ensuring faster diagnoses, timely responses and saving lives in hard-to-reach communities.

Emily Bancroft, CEO and president of VillageReach, highlights the significance of this work: “As we begin this critical work, we are reminded of the urgent need for robust primary healthcare systems that can respond swiftly to outbreaks. This programme with Takeda enables us to work alongside governments to build infrastructure that not only saves lives but also enhances epidemic preparedness across the region.”

The programme, known as Integrated Laboratory Transport Systems to Stop Outbreaks, focuses on strengthening epidemic preparedness and response. It aims to enhance the efficiency and integration of laboratory sample transport systems for epidemic-prone diseases while ensuring the quality and integrity of samples during transit – enabling accurate and timely diagnoses.

The programme addresses surges in laboratory sample transportation demand, facilitates community engagement and provides targeted training for health workers and transporters to further bolster outbreak responses. These measures will help contain outbreaks swiftly and reliably, reducing their impact on vulnerable populations.

The goal of the programme is for all participating countries to digitise and integrate electronic reporting systems, improving data availability on sample movements and laboratory results.

Additionally, the initiative will strengthen notification systems and establish patient feedback mechanisms, fostering more responsive and resilient healthcare systems.

Project activities across the five countries

In the DRC, VillageReach will improve transport networks and routes to national and regional laboratories for patient samples originating in 11 provinces, train 3 500 community leaders on crisis communication during outbreaks, and train health workers and local private transporters in biosafety and biosecurity, sample collection, packaging, transport and reporting.

In Malawi, VillageReach will expand on-demand transportation beyond polio and measles samples to other outbreak-prone diseases in all 800+ health facilities and train 400 community health workers to enhance outbreak detection and response.

In Guinea, in-country implementing partner FHI 360 will work with the Ministry of Health to manage sample transport for all infectious diseases through a countrywide network of private local transporters using motorcycles, boats, minibuses and flights; the sample movements are captured in a web- and app-based data management system, which was locally developed.

In Tanzania, healthcare workers and local governments in regions affected by recurring outbreaks of cholera and measles will receive targeted training alongside efforts to engage traditional healers, influential people and local leaders to promote awareness and enhance the transportation of samples during disease outbreaks. This work will be done in collaboration with partner organisation ciheb Tanzania. Additionally, VillageReach will help train hotline workers at the national health call centre to provide advice to the population on outbreak-prone diseases.

In Uganda, VillageReach will partner with the Uganda Virus Research Institute. The initiative aims to increase the frequency of infectious disease sample pickups as part of the integrated National Lab Sample Transport System and train community health teams in 45 outbreak-prone districts in biosafety and early outbreak detection.

Four countries will also be using real-time GPS and remote temperature monitoring trackers during the transport of samples to ensure the quality and integrity of samples and their timely arrival at the labs.

This programme builds upon VillageReach’s Polio Lab Sample Transport Programme in 15 African countries, which has been ongoing since 2022 in collaboration with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. It is part of Takeda’s Global Corporate Social Responsibility Programme, which committed approximately $8 million over four years to these five countries.

VillageReach’s work is expected to impact 116 000 people directly and millions indirectly through better disease detection and surveillance systems.