African Health Scientists Attend Monkeypox Virus Workshop

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

With rising cases of Monkeypox virus in Africa, the Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC) and the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) have jointly held their first training on Real-Time PCR-based Monkeypox virus (MPXV) testing for 20 African Union Member States in Abuja, Nigeria.

It was the first in the series of hands-on training on real-time PCR-based monkeypox virus (MPXV) diagnosis launched and organized in partnership with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in June.

The three-day training workshop is designed to cover a combination of theoretical and hands-on training in the collection and handling of MPXV suspected specimens; isolation of nucleic acid; detection of MPXV using RT-PCR assay; interpretation and reporting of results for public health interventions.

Furthermore, the Africa CDC in partnership with Jiangsu Bioperfectus Technologies Co., Ltd. will distribute MPXV RT-PCR kits to expand testing in participating Member States.

Dr Yenew Kebede, Head Division of Laboratory Systems and Networks at the Africa CDC, said: “Laboratory testing capacity is key to expanding MPXV surveillance in endemic and non-endemic countries across the continent. This training is timely and critical to building and expanding MPXV testing capacity and capability across the continent. We will continue to organize additional trainings and distribute testing kits to the additional African Member States in order to strengthen MPXV surveillance in the continent.”

Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, Director General of NCDC, commented: “Establishing diagnostic capacity for infectious diseases including for monkeypox virus is an essential first step in gaining the understanding required for preparedness and response. So, we are very delighted to partner with Africa CDC to conduct hands-on training for 20 African countries on the RT-PCR-based detection of the monkeypox virus. The training covers a range of topics from collection and handling of the specimen to RT-PCR testing and reporting of results to inform response and containment strategies.”

Dr Ahmed Ogwell, Acting Director of the Africa CDC, said: “Africa CDC will continue to support the Member States in strengthening their capacity and capability to detect and respond to disease outbreaks. Recently, we have issued a call for more support to the Member States and increased access to diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines to limit the spread of MPXV. The MPXV training and the distribution of test kits are key to expanding MPXV surveillance across the continent.”

The participants are expected to put into practice the skills and knowledge gained from this training to expand MPXV testing and surveillance in their home country. Furthermore, the training workshop will create a network of laboratory experts to collaborate and share expertise and resources in MPXV detection and response.

The training was coordinated and supported through the Africa CDC – Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative (Africa PGI). The training workshop targeted 20 participants from 20 African Union (AU) Member States: Benin, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinéa, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Republic of Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.