The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) International Health Regulations Strengthening Project (IHR-SP) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) delivered a first of its kind hybrid seminar on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) hazards to the Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Fellows from 18 African Union Member States on 4 July 2025. The one-day seminar, hosted at the Africa CDC headquarters, marked the first time since PHEM Fellowship began in 2023 that PHEM Fellows received dedicated CBRN training – helping to build Africa’s capacity to detect, prevent and respond to CBRN threats.  

Practical learning from experts

The IHR-SP team presented and led practical group discussions covering chemical risks and incidents in Africa, the detection, surveillance and effective management of chemical events for public health, and multi-sectoral working for effective preparedness and response. The seminar also featured collaborative sessions co-delivered by the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) and the Ethiopian Radiation Protection Authority, who shared valuable expertise and best practices. EPHI presented on their experience with the CBRN Technical Working Groups (TWGs) and the CBRN surveillance system in Ethiopia. The Radiation Protection Authority contributed insights on radiation protection and its public health implications.

The training received excellent feedback, with 100% of respondents affirming that the seminar met their learning objectives. Fellows highlighted suggestions for future events, including simulation exercises, the continuation of this seminar series, and an increased focus on community engagement around CBRN topics.

This seminar shows the growing commitment to ensure Africa’s public health workforce have the skills and knowledge to protect their communities from CBRN threats. Building on this success, UKHSA will continue to collaborate closely with Africa CDC to strengthen chemical and environmental hazard preparedness across the continent – an identified unmet need in the public health workforce. The introduction of an educational webinar session on CBRN threats into the PHEM Fellowship was intended to be a starting point as it had never been included before, with the intention to fully introduce CBRN into the curriculum in due course. The partnership has also resulted in a joint project to assess laboratory chemical detection capacity across the continent, for the very first time, which is currently underway.