BNITM supports the new East African Virology Centre of Excellence at the Uganda Virus Research Institute
A milestone for healthcare in East Africa: The East African Virology Centre of Excellence at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Entebbe has officially opened. The centre will enhance the ability of East African countries to rapidly detect and combat highly pathogenic pathogens such as Ebola and dengue viruses. The Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) contributed to the planning of the new centre and will continue to provide advisory support.
The new Virology Centre of Excellence at UVRI is the cornerstone of the third phase of the East African Community (EAC) Mobile Lab Project, running from 2025 to 2028. As an institution of the EAC, the centre will serve as a regional reference and research hub for virological diagnostics and outbreak response. One of its key responsibilities will be advising the governments and health authorities of the EAC’s eight partner countries (Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania) during outbreaks. The new centre will also include biosafety level 3 laboratories and will be responsible for maintaining diagnostic quality standards across all partner countries.
"With the Virology Centre of Excellence, the EAC is creating a lasting structure that not only helps during outbreaks but also advances research and collaboration in the region to a new level," says Dr Florian Gehre, head of the One Health Disease Control laboratory group and coordinator of the EAC Mobile Lab Project at BNITM. "This is a major step forward for healthcare in East Africa, and we are proud that BNITM has been involved from the very beginning."
BNITM: The technical driving force behind the EAC Mobile Lab Project
Since 2017, BNITM has been the primary partner in the EAC Mobile Lab Project. Four of the institute’s staff members are permanently based at the EAC Secretariat in Arusha, Tanzania, to oversee the project. BNITM defined the precise requirements and technical specifications for the mobile laboratories and advised on their selection and procurement. Without these labs, a rapid response to outbreaks in remote areas would not be possible. BNITM trains laboratory teams in Hamburg and East Africa to ensure they can safely apply modern diagnostic methods. A particular focus is on training regional trainers who pass on their knowledge to local healthcare workers. BNITM is also supporting UVRI in integrating the new centre of excellence into the existing EAC network of public health laboratories and establishing standardised procedures for diagnostics and outbreak management.
For BNITM, the EAC Mobile Lab Project is a key component of its international work.
"This exemplifies how global health thrives: through equal partnership, not unilateral action," says Prof Jürgen May, chairman of the BNITM board. "Our work goes far beyond technology. It is about building trust, sharing knowledge, and empowering countries to act independently. This is sustainable empowerment in action."
About the EAC Mobile Lab Project
The EAC Mobile Lab Project strengthens the capacity of East African partner countries to detect and combat highly pathogenic pathogens, such as viral haemorrhagic fevers like Ebola and dengue, and other cross-border infectious diseases. The project is divided into three phases. The first phase saw the establishment of nine mobile laboratories in six partner countries to enable rapid outbreak detection. The second phase expanded the network to include mobile BSL-3 container laboratories for monitoring antimicrobial resistance and bacterial pathogens. The current third phase, running until 2028, includes the opening of the EAC Virology Centre of Excellence at UVRI, alongside further measures such as promoting One Health collaboration, upgrading mobile labs to One Health laboratories, and supporting joint conferences between human and veterinary laboratories.
The project is financed by KfW Development Bank on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, with a total budget of 12 million euros for the third phase, and implemented in coordination with BNITM. The funds are allocated to laboratory equipment, the establishment of the centre of excellence, and training and capacity-building measures in the partner countries.
Contact person
Dr Florian Gehre
Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Email : gehre@bnitm.de
Dr Anna Hein
Public Relations
Phone : +49 40 285380-269
Email : presse@bnitm.de
