The African Development Fund has approved a $9.57 million grant to strengthen the Southern African Development Community (SADC)’s capacity to respond to public‑health emergencies, including zoonotic outbreaks, cholera and nutrition crises.
Approved on 3 March, the funding will support the Resilient Health Systems for Emergency Preparedness Project, a regional initiative designed to improve surveillance, diagnostics and emergency response across SADC.
Key components of the project include training 449 health personnel with a focus on gender-responsive and climate‑adapted approaches, strengthening of capacity to manage nutrition emergencies, creation of a sustainable pipeline of specialists in emergency management, and upgrading of diagnostic and environmental surveillance laboratories in six countries.
It also involves the modernisation of Mozambique’s National Institute of Health to function as a regional reference laboratory, strengthening Lesotho’s national blood bank, and establishment of a regional framework for cross‑border laboratories, including a mobile unit to be deployed at strategic border points in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
African Development Bank director general for southern Africa, Kennedy Mbekeani said the investment aimed to address “persistent fragility” in SADC health systems.
“This operation aims to address the persistent fragility of health systems in the SADC, which remain vulnerable to zoonotic outbreaks and cholera epidemics, high malnutrition rates and limited human resources, as well as inadequate emergency preparedness,” Mbekeani said.
The project is expected to enhance early detection of outbreaks, improve coordination between countries and reduce delays in emergency response – long‑standing weaknesses that have contributed to the rapid spread of diseases across borders.
SADC governments have increasingly emphasised the need for regional solutions, particularly as climate‑related disasters intensify.
The new grant is intended to complement national efforts by creating shared infrastructure and expertise that can be mobilised quickly during crises.
The decision comes as SADC countries continue to face recurrent disease outbreaks linked to fragile health systems, climate shocks and overstretched laboratory capacity.
The region has battled repeated cholera waves since 2023, alongside rising zoonotic threats such as Rift Valley fever and anthrax.
Flooding, cyclone damage, rapid urbanisation and weak water and sanitation infrastructure have heightened the risk of cross‑border transmission, prompting calls for stronger regional preparedness.
JN/APA