A tool designed to help African countries identify and address gaps in their ability to detect identify threats and chemical hazards has moved a step closer to wider use, following a technical workshop hosted by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in partnership with Africa Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) and UKHSA’s IHR Strengthening Project in Accra, Ghana, from 1 to 5 June 2026. 

The LabMapTool, led by Africa CDC and ASLM, is a GIS-linked laboratory mapping system that enables countries to inventory their laboratory systems and support evidence-based planning for outbreak preparedness and response. For chemical incidents, itidentifies which laboratories can test for specific chemical agents, what equipment and trained staff are available, and where investment is most needed. 

The workshop tested and refined the LabMap Tool 2.0, which includes a new module for chemical threat identification and laboratory detection. It integrates One Health principles; linking human, animal, and environmental health data, and uses digital systems to standardise how data is collected and analysed across sectors. The tool has been developed and piloted over the past two years with UKHSA support. 

Pilots conducted in six African Union Member States:Ethiopia, DRC, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia and Tunisia, pointed to significant gaps in the region's ability to detect and respond to chemical hazards, including limitations in laboratory testing capacity, uneven distribution of specialised equipment and expertise, and challenges in understanding national coverage for chemical detection system. At the same time, the pilots identified important existing strengths, including emergency response systems, environmental monitoring programmes and workforce training mechanisms that provide a strong foundation for further capacity development. 

These findings directly shaped the refinements made at the workshop before wider regional rollout and will inform how countries plan their national laboratory and surveillance capacity. In practice, this means countries will be better placed to identify where chemical hazard risks are greatest and to target resources where they will have the most impact. 

Preparing for regional rollout 

The workshop, led by Africa CDC and ASLM, brought together 30 participants, including laboratory experts and LabMap focal points from Member States. UKHSA supported the technical sessions, drawing on technical staff based in Africa CDC, Zambia, Nigeria and the UK. 

UKHSA colleagues helped lead sessions on the chemical detection moduleand supported country teams through hands-on validation exercises, working through what the data mean in practice and how it can feed into national planning and incident response. 

UKHSA has worked alongside Africa CDCand ASLMsince 2024 to support this work. This has includedco-developing the chemical laboratory detection and mapping survey tool and module, supporting a project steering group to help ensure country ownership, draftingand developing practical guidance for using the tool, and helping to deliver a webinar for Member States. UKHSA also supported the six pilot implementations and helped produce six country-specific reports and one comprehensive report and share the results. Together, this work has given Member States a clearer evidence base for understanding and strengthening their own chemical hazard detection capacity, and a practical tool to help translate that evidence into targeted national action. 

What happens next 

Participants agreed a shared path forward: finalising the current version of the tool, embedding the chemical detection module into national plans, and moving toward a new version with Africa CDC firmly in the lead on governance and coordination. 

UKHSA remains committed to supporting this work as a technical partner, continuing to share expertise and lend capacity where it is useful, while the tool and its rollout remain owned and led by Africa CDC and its Member States.