Africa CDC, EU Launch €9.4M Mpox Testing & Sequencing Drive Across Africa

PAMTA is co-funded under the EU4Health 2024 Work Programme, with a total commitment of €9.4 million directed toward Africa CDC and its implementing partner, the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM).

In a landmark step toward strengthening Africa’s pandemic preparedness and diagnostic capacity, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the European Commission have jointly launched the Partnership to Accelerate Mpox Testing and Sequencing in Africa (PAMTA). Officially commencing on 1 June 2025, this transformative initiative is designed to enhance Mpox testing, genomic surveillance, and regional manufacturing capacity across the continent over a three-year implementation period.

A Strategic Alliance Backed by EU4Health

PAMTA is co-funded under the EU4Health 2024 Work Programme, with a total commitment of €9.4 million directed toward Africa CDC and its implementing partner, the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM). The initiative is managed by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) and represents the first-ever collaborative health security project jointly signed between the European Commission and Africa CDC.

“This partnership reflects our commitment to working with trusted partners to build agile and self-reliant public health systems across Africa,” said Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC. “Together with the EU and our technical partners, we are setting a new benchmark for outbreak detection and response.”

Core Objectives: A Four-Pillar Strategy

PAMTA will support the development of regional health resilience through four strategic objectives:

1. Mass Mpox Testing The initiative aims to support more than 150,000 Mpox diagnostic tests across African countries, with a focus on high-incidence and vulnerable regions.

2. Genomic Sequencing Expansion Genomic surveillance will be significantly scaled up to track viral mutations, transmission dynamics, and new outbreak patterns, enabling rapid public health responses.

3. Capacity Building PAMTA will train a new cadre of health professionals in molecular diagnostics, genomic analysis, bioinformatics, and epidemiological data interpretation, ensuring long-term sustainability.

4. Local Innovation and Manufacturing By promoting and validating locally produced diagnostic kits, the project aims to reduce dependence on imports, cut response time, and strengthen Africa’s diagnostic sovereignty.

“This action enables a critical next step: strengthening diagnostic capacities as part of a broader medical countermeasures approach,” said Laurent Muschel, Deputy Head of DG HERA (European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority). “Together, the African Union and the European Union can deliver tangible results to protect lives.”

Responding to a Growing Health Threat

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has emerged as a critical public health concern with outbreaks reported in several African countries and beyond. Despite the availability of vaccines and treatments, African nations have faced challenges in accessing sufficient testing capacity, which is essential for tracking infections, preventing outbreaks, and informing clinical responses.

The PAMTA initiative builds on the EU’s earlier contributions to Mpox response in Africa:

• Over 600,000 vaccine doses delivered to African countries by mid-2025 through HERA and Team Europe

• MPX-RESPONSE and EDCTP3 research projects developing new therapeutic options

• Support for the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative (PGI), which is expanding the continent’s public health laboratory and genomic surveillance infrastructure

Boosting Regional Resilience Through Science and Solidarity

PAMTA represents a pivotal shift in how health crises are tackled in Africa—not merely through emergency aid, but via long-term investments in local systems, science, and self-reliance. By fostering African-led innovation and expanding public-private partnerships, the initiative reinforces a sustainable model of epidemic preparedness that integrates diagnostics, research, and manufacturing into a unified ecosystem.

The African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) will play a key role in delivering laboratory training, technical support, and standardization of testing protocols, ensuring interoperability between national public health labs and strengthening the continent’s disease surveillance networks.

“This project is about building systems that last—not just responding to today’s outbreak but preparing for tomorrow’s,” said Dr Pascale Ondoa, Director of Science and New Initiatives at ASLM.

A Model for Global Health Cooperation

PAMTA’s rollout comes at a time when Africa–EU cooperation on health security is deepening. The initiative exemplifies a model of co-creation, shared responsibility, and mutual accountability, where funding, policy leadership, and technical implementation are aligned to deliver concrete health outcomes.

It also reinforces the EU’s broader strategy to support partner countries in the Global South, using the Team Europe approach to align development funding with local priorities and pandemic resilience goals under the Global Gateway framework.

“PAMTA is not just about Mpox; it’s a pathway to a stronger, healthier Africa—led by Africans and supported through equal partnerships,” Dr Kaseya emphasized.

Looking Ahead

Over the next three years, PAMTA will be closely monitored through regular reporting, performance indicators, and impact assessments. The lessons learned will help inform future cross-border health collaborations and strengthen Africa’s overall ability to detect, respond to, and contain infectious diseases—both known and emerging.

By combining science, solidarity, and sovereignty, the Africa CDC–EU partnership is lighting a new path forward for health security in the Global South.