The African Development Bank Group has approved new funding to help countries in Southern Africa improve their ability to respond to health emergencies and strengthen regional health systems.
The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF) approved a $9.57 million grant on 3 March 2026 to support member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The funding will finance the Resilient Health Systems for Emergency Preparedness Project, an initiative designed to improve health system capacity and emergency response across the region.
The project focuses on boosting preparedness for public health crises, including disease outbreaks and nutrition-related emergencies, by strengthening both human capacity and health infrastructure.
As part of the programme, 449 laboratory technicians, community health workers and trainers will receive specialised training. Of these, 269 are women, reflecting a deliberate effort to integrate gender considerations into health workforce development. The training will also incorporate climate change adaptation strategies and the One Health approach, which recognises the link between human, animal and environmental health.
In addition, about 35 nutrition coordinators, including 21 women, will be trained and certified through institutions specialising in nutrition and gender-responsive emergency management. Updated training curricula developed under the programme are expected to benefit approximately 240 students each year, helping to build a sustainable regional pool of professionals equipped to manage nutrition and public health emergencies.
Infrastructure development is another key part of the initiative. Diagnostic laboratories as well as wastewater and environmental surveillance facilities in six participating countries will be renovated and upgraded with modern equipment.
The project will also support the modernisation of the Instituto Nacional de Saúde in Mozambique, positioning it as a regional reference laboratory. In Lesotho, efforts will focus on strengthening the country’s national blood bank to improve its capacity to support healthcare delivery.
To improve cross-border disease monitoring, the programme will establish a regional framework for model cross-border laboratories. A mobile cross-border laboratory will also be deployed at two strategic border points located in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, helping authorities detect and respond quickly to emerging health threats.
According to Kennedy Mbekeani, Director General of the African Development Bank for Southern Africa, the initiative is designed to address persistent vulnerabilities in the region’s health systems.
He noted that many SADC countries continue to face recurring public health challenges, including zoonotic disease outbreaks, cholera epidemics, widespread malnutrition and shortages of trained health personnel.
“This operation aims to tackle the ongoing fragility of health systems across the SADC region, which remain exposed to disease outbreaks, high levels of malnutrition, limited human resources and weak emergency preparedness,” Mbekeani said.
The project is expected to play a key role in strengthening regional collaboration and improving the capacity of Southern African countries to prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies.
