ZIG hosts collaboration workshop on Madagascar’s public health system

At the end of February 2023 staff from ZIG 2, ZIG 4, ZBS 2 and the ZIG RKI WHO HUB Office welcomed colleagues from the Madagascar Ministry of Health, National Public Health Institute (Institut National de Santé Publique et Communautaire, INSPC) and National public health laboratory (Laboratoire d'Analyses Médicales Malagasy, LA2M) for a two-day planning and collaboration workshop in Berlin. Under the Global Health Protection Programme (GHPP) the newly funded 3-year project “Assessing and Building Capacities: Madagascar Public Health System” (ABCM) comes at the formal request to RKI from the Ministry of Health in Madagascar. The project will assess Madagascar’s public health system, capacities for detection and surveillance of major vector-borne diseases through a one health approach, and develop a roadmap to strengthen and increase the resilience of the public health system.

Workshop participants from ZIG 2, ZIG 4, ZBS 2, ZIG RKI WHO HUB Office together with Madagascar colleagues from Ministry of Health, INSPC, LA2M (Source: RKI)

Colleagues from Madagascar presented the current and historical structure of the institutions with a particular focus on research, surveillance, outbreak response and diagnostics capacities. ZIG 2 led a discussion on the current state of the Madagascar public health system and the initial perceived needs. This was followed by joint refinement of the research objectives and identification of which qualitative and quantitative methods are most appropriate to initially map and assess the current needs of the public health system in Madagascar. This included a discussion on existing literature and resources available within the country, relevant stakeholders and programs within Madagascar, and the current quality and availability of surveillance data.

ZIG 4 led an in-depth discussion on the current situation for vector-borne diseases diagnosis and surveillance in Madagascar, to allow the identification of opportunities and challenges in the effort to strengthen the diagnostics capacities and capabilities at the national laboratory LA2M and the implementation of an integrated surveillance approach. Aside from identifying the relevant needs the discussion laid ground to explore opportunities on collaboration with academic and other stakeholders involved in vector control to serve public health in Madagascar.

ZBS 2 presented the range of methods used by the consultant laboratory for plague diagnostics at the RKI. All partners highlighted the importance of the collaboration to establish further diagnostic methods tailored to the needs of Madagascar as a country with recurrent plague epidemics. It became evident that access to clinical samples from plague patients is essential for improving plague diagnostics. In addition, possibilities for surveillance of the plague pathogen in host animals and vectors were discussed.

In addition, synergies and collaboration with the ZIG 4 and WHO HUB project “Strengthen Integrated Genomic Surveillance through Greater Capacities in National Public Health Institutes” were discussed and integrated within the project planning. Across the project, colleagues from RKI and Madagascar were able to exchange and identify relevant and key areas for a planned scientific staff exchange from Madagascar to RKI. The workshop concluded with a discussion on challenges, clarifying roles and responsibilities and planning key timepoints for the first year. The end of the first year of the project with be cumulated by a joint synthesis workshop with WHO.

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