The project presents a series of scientific activities, preparedness and training measures aiming at strengthening and empowering the African preparedness and response to SARS-CoV-2 and future outbreaks of biological etiology in the African continent.

Specific objectives are:

• Reinforce the urgent Response to the CoVID-19 epidemic in affected countries and the preparedness in non-affected countries in Africa through the laboratories working group network of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) and West African Health Organization.

• Establish at Institut Pasteur de Dakar a world class African Centre of Excellence for Training in Surveillance and Epidemic Preparedness, Epidemic Intelligence, Epidemic Response and Epidemic Control.

• Build a strong outreach capacity to provide diagnostics, sequencing, health medical and non-medical (health promotion, social mobilization) services at the peripheral level of the health system and in remote areas using mobile lab platforms using a fleet of 6 Mobile Labs.