AfriCam, a project on early detection of emerging diseases

"In Cameroon, the AfriCam project intends to boost the capacity to detect emerging pathogens rapidly", says Élisabeth Dibongué, AfriCam focal point in Cameroon. "The first step is strong collaboration between every level of the health and administrative pyramid and every sector of human, animal and environmental health."

After launches in each of the beneficiary countries (Cambodia, Cameroon, Guinea, Madagascar and Senegal), 25 January saw the global kick-off for AfriCam - Preventing and monitoring zoonotic disease emergence in Africa and Cambodia. CIRAD, which is coordinating the project, brought together IRD, AFD, and the 34 project partners and representatives of the national authorities in the five countries concerned.

Marie-Marie Olive, epidemiologist with CIRAD and project coordinator, presented the overall framework for the project and the transverse scientific, technical and training operations scheduled across the five beneficiary countries. Then each of the principal investigators presented AfriCam's main objectives in each country. The scientific and transverse coordination unit was presented by IRD's Manon Lounnas, along with the main research and operational topics to be tackled by the countries involved. Lastly, certain partners were given an opportunity to highlight their activities under the umbrella of AfriCam.

For Marie Edan, project leader at AFD, "the AfriCam project sets a real institutional challenge: making players from the public sector, associations and the research sector work together on a given objective, such as that of preventing pandemics of zoonotic origin. This means constant dialogue between those players to make sure that research results translate into public policy".

On an overall level, after the various phases of contract signing between the partners, the scientific and transverse coordination committee has now formalized the transverse topics to be studied across the countries involved.

Activities have been launched in several countries. In Madagascar, there have been surveys and sampling of the canine population, along with socio-epidemiological studies aimed at understanding how local communities perceive the risks linked to wildlife, and an action plan to set up an integrated surveillance system.

"In Senegal, the project was co-built with partners on all levels, from national to local", Dr Khadidja, AfriCam focal point in Senegal. "Communities are playing an important role in the AfriCam project, particularly in its implementation in Dagana and Kedougou départements, the AfriCam project site".