African Development Fund Approves $9.6M for SADC Health Security

The African Development Fund (ADF) has approved a $9.57 million grant to strengthen health security and emergency preparedness across countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Approved on 3 March 2026, the financing—provided through the concessional arm of the African Development Bank Group—will support the Resilient Health Systems for Emergency Preparedness Project, aimed at improving regional capacity to respond to public health and nutrition emergencies.

Strengthening Regional Health Systems

The initiative will focus on strengthening fragile health systems in the SADC region, which continue to face risks from disease outbreaks, malnutrition and limited emergency preparedness capacity.

"This operation aims to address the persistent fragility of health systems in the SADC," said Kennedy Mbekeani, African Development Bank Director General for Southern Africa.

He noted that countries in the region remain vulnerable to zoonotic disease outbreaks, cholera epidemics, high malnutrition rates and shortages of trained health personnel.

Training Health and Nutrition Specialists

A major component of the project will focus on workforce development to improve emergency response capabilities.

The programme will train 449 laboratory technicians, community health workers and trainers, including 269 women, using approaches that incorporate:

• Gender-sensitive health responses

• Climate change adaptation

• The One Health approach, which links human, animal and environmental health

In addition, 35 nutrition coordinators, including 21 women, from institutions specializing in nutrition and gender in emergency settings will receive professional certification.

Revised training curricula are expected to benefit about 240 students annually, helping build a long-term regional pool of experts in emergency nutrition and gender-responsive health management.

Upgrading Laboratories Across the Region

The project will also invest in critical health infrastructure.

Diagnostic laboratories, wastewater monitoring facilities and environmental surveillance laboratories will be renovated and equipped in six beneficiary countries.

These upgrades aim to improve early detection of disease outbreaks and strengthen cross-border monitoring of public health risks.

Regional Reference Laboratory in Mozambique

As part of the programme, the Instituto Nacional de Saúde in Mozambique will be modernized to serve as a regional reference laboratory, enhancing the region's capacity to detect and respond to emerging health threats.

The project will also strengthen the national blood bank in Lesotho, improving blood safety and emergency medical response capacity.

Cross-Border Surveillance and Rapid Response

To strengthen regional coordination, the project will establish a framework for model cross-border laboratories.

A mobile cross-border laboratory will also be deployed at two strategic border points in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, enabling rapid testing and surveillance during outbreaks or emergencies.

Officials say the initiative will significantly improve the region's ability to detect health threats early and coordinate responses across borders.

Addressing Long-Term Health Security Risks

The African Development Bank said the project is part of broader efforts to strengthen health resilience in Africa and reduce the impact of future epidemics and humanitarian crises.

By combining capacity building, infrastructure upgrades and regional coordination, the initiative aims to help SADC countries better protect communities from health emergencies while strengthening long-term health system resilience.