Africa often enters disease outbreaks without enough trained researchers, laboratories and systems to start urgent clinical studies. A new five-year initiative led by Makerere University seeks to change this by preparing research teams before the next health emergency strikes.
Makerere University will launch a five-year programme aimed at strengthening Africa’s capacity to conduct research during infectious disease outbreaks.
The Advancing Clinical Trials and Epidemic Preparedness Research Capacity in Africa project, known as ACT-PREP, will launch on September 28, 2026.
The event will take place at the Makerere University School of Public Health auditorium in Kampala.
Makerere University School of Public Health leads the initiative. It brings together universities, research centres and public health bodies from Africa and Europe.
The programme seeks to improve clinical trials and other forms of research before and during disease outbreaks.
Africa has faced several outbreaks, including Ebola, Marburg and Covid-19. However, many countries still struggle to produce evidence fast enough to guide treatment, prevention and public health decisions.
ACT-PREP wants countries to prepare research systems before an outbreak begins. This would allow researchers to start work as soon as authorities detect a health threat.
The project’s principal investigator, Prof Rhoda Wanyenze, said the initiative would promote fairer cooperation among 10 African and two European institutions.
The partners come from Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Sudan and Senegal. Institutions in Sweden and Germany have also joined the programme.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention will take part.
Makerere’s leadership places an African institution at the centre of efforts to prepare for future epidemics.
The initiative will build capacity in clinical research, ethics, regulation, laboratory services and disease surveillance.
It will also add specialised training to doctoral and postdoctoral programmes. The consortium plans to train at least 700 fellows by the end of the project.
ACT-PREP project manager Dr Steven Kabwama said Africa needed both modern facilities and experts who could use them during emergencies.
Researchers will share knowledge, data, technology and other resources across institutions and borders.
The programme will also study One Health methods, which link human, animal and environmental health.
It will explore the use of artificial intelligence to predict and detect disease outbreaks and support a faster response.
ACT-PREP also hopes to simplify regulatory processes. This could help institutions approve, start and monitor clinical trials within shorter periods during emergencies.
Recent outbreaks have shown that delays can cost lives. Slow pathogen detection, limited research sites and lengthy ethical approvals can hold back a public health response.
The initiative seeks to put trained teams, laboratories, surveillance systems and regulatory procedures in place before another crisis emerges.
It also aims to reduce dependence on foreign institutions that often arrive after an outbreak has started.
Instead, African researchers would lead studies and draw on established partnerships when an emergency occurs.
