Post by Robert Koch Institute

Strengthening Public Health Intelligence in South Africa From 16–20 March, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), in collaboration with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and supported by the National Department of Health (NDoH), delivered a Public Health Intelligence (PHI) Foundations Training in Johannesburg. The training was delivered as part of Work Area 7: Epidemic intelligence of the Health Security Partnership Africa (HSPA), which aims to strengthen early warning, detection and response capabilities for high consequence pathogens of security concern in the continent. Over five days, public health professionals from multiple South African institutions, including the NDoH, Provincial Epidemiology Teams, the Department of Defense and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases NICD, exchanged experiences and expertise, strengthening core PHI capacities with an all-hazards and One Health approach. Participants engaged in hands-on sessions on early detection, collaborative surveillance, stakeholder engagement, and generating actionable insights for evidence-informed response. The training concluded with a tabletop exercise, allowing participants to apply the full PHI process in a realistic scenario, strengthening coordination and response readiness. 📚 This training was grounded in the PHI Competency Framework and Curriculum – jointly developed by the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, the RKI, and other global partners – and was customized for the South African context. 👏 A huge thank you to all participants, facilitators, and partners who made this milestone possible. Together we are building a stronger, more connected PHI community across Africa. 🙏 This work is made possible through the support of Global Affairs Canada's Weapons Threat Reduction Program and the Government of the United Kingdom. #GlobalHealthSecurity #PublicHealthIntelligence #EpidemicIntelligence #PublicHealth #SouthAfrica #GPWMD #SIMBA_Bio #HSPA