EAIDSNet and SACIDS receive COVID-19 grant
We are pleased to share that two of CORDS member networks the East African Disease Surveillance
Network (EAIDSNet) and SACIDS One Health Foundation have jointly received funding from the Skoll
Foundation for the COVID-19 response in Africa. The Networks are working together with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa
CDC), in response to the call for a continent-wide strategy to counter the pandemic and the establishment
of the Africa Taskforce on Coronavirus Preparedness and Response (AFTCOR).
The collaboration between the three organizations is focusing on COVID-19 surveillance and diagnosis as
well as sub-typing in the African Union member states of the two Networks (Tanzania, DR Congo,
Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and South Sudan) considered to
be most at risk. The plan is to build on existing systems for monitoring influenza-like illnesses and severe
acute respiratory infections.
The team at SACIDS HQ in Tanzania, working on COVID19, include:
1. Leonard Mboera – assistant coordinator across the SACIDS network and interaction with Africa
CDC;
2. Gerald Misinzo – leader genomics group and diagnostics coordinator for our work on diagnostics;
3. Esron Karimuribo – leader surveillance programme and member of Tanzania National
Surveillance Working Group;
4. Calvin Sindato – expert on surveillance and modelling
5. Eric Beda – responsible for developing AfyaData and development of point-of-entry surveillance
and contact tracing;
6. Emmy Metta – expert risk assessment and Africa context specific Mitigation Strategies for
COVID-19
7. Filomena Namuba – responsible for project operations coordination across institutions.