By Amadu Bah
The University of Sierra Leone (USL) is set to play a leading role in a regional initiative aimed at strengthening scientific, clinical and genomic research on arboviruses across West Africa, officials said.
The programme, part of a broader effort to improve preparedness for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, brings together five countries – Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali – under a collaborative framework led by the West African Consortium for Clinical Research on Epidemic Pathogens (WAC-CREP).
Dr. Alhaji U. N’jai, principal investigator for the Strengthening Clinical and Genomic Research Capacity on Arbovirus (SC-GRA) project in Sierra Leone, said the initiative would enhance research capacity while fostering cooperation among universities, research institutions and policymakers.
Speaking at the project’s inception meeting in Bamako on April 7, N’jai described the initiative as a “game changer” for both the region and global health.
“What we have here is a collective effort that goes beyond the five countries involved. The work we are doing is about preventing pandemics on a global scale,” he said.
The initiative is supported by the Africa Pandemic Sciences Collaborative, a partnership involving the Science for Africa Foundation, the Pandemic Sciences Institute at the University of Oxford and the Mastercard Foundation.
A key component of the programme is the training and mentorship of young African scientists to strengthen the region’s capacity to respond to disease outbreaks.
N’jai highlighted the importance of proactive approaches to public health, citing past outbreaks such as Ebola, COVID-19 and Mpox, as well as emerging threats like Marburg virus and arboviruses.
“We have faced significant challenges during past outbreaks, and those challenges persist. This initiative is about thinking ahead of these pathogens—being proactive rather than reactive,” he said.
The four-day meeting in Mali brought together researchers and stakeholders to align implementation strategies, review work plans and coordinate capacity-building efforts.
Health experts say the initiative comes at a time when Africa continues to face a high burden of infectious disease outbreaks, driven by factors including climate change, migration and increased human-animal interaction.
Despite accounting for about 17% of the global population, Africa produces only a small share of global health research, underscoring the need for greater investment in scientific capacity and collaboration, officials said.
Over the next six years, the programme aims to strengthen partnerships between research institutions and policymakers while supporting the development of a more resilient health system across the region.
