VillageReach has launched a new program, funded by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, to enhance laboratory sample referral and transportation systems for epidemic-prone infectious diseases across Africa.
The initiative, which began in January 2025, aims to strengthen health systems in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guinea, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The program addresses key barriers to diagnosing infectious diseases such as polio, measles, yellow fever, Ebola, mpox, and cholera by improving sample transport systems. Faster diagnoses and timely responses will help save lives, particularly in hard-to-reach communities.
Emily Bancroft, CEO and President of VillageReach, emphasized the urgency of this initiative, stating, “As we begin this critical work, we are reminded of the urgent need for robust primary health care systems that can respond swiftly to outbreaks. This program with Takeda enables us to work alongside governments to build infrastructure that not only saves lives but also enhances epidemic preparedness across the region.”
Known as the Integrated Laboratory Transport Systems to Stop Outbreaks, the program focuses on strengthening epidemic preparedness and response by enhancing the efficiency of laboratory sample transport. It ensures the quality and integrity of samples during transit, enabling accurate and timely diagnoses. Additionally, the initiative tackles surges in laboratory sample transportation demand, fosters community engagement, and provides targeted training for health workers and transporters to improve outbreak responses.
A key component of the program is digitizing and integrating electronic reporting systems to improve data availability on sample movements and laboratory results. It will also strengthen notification systems and establish patient feedback mechanisms, fostering more responsive and resilient health care systems.
Implementation Across Five Countries
Each of the participating countries will benefit from tailored activities designed to improve outbreak detection and response:
- In the DRC, VillageReach will improve transport networks for patient samples in 11 provinces, train 3,500 community leaders on crisis communication during outbreaks, and provide biosafety training for health workers and private transporters.
- In Malawi, the program will expand on-demand transportation beyond polio and measles samples to other outbreak-prone diseases in all 800+ health facilities. Additionally, 400 community health workers will receive training to enhance outbreak detection and response.
- In Guinea, VillageReach’s implementing partner, FHI 360, will collaborate with the Ministry of Health to manage sample transport for all infectious diseases. A countrywide network of private local transporters—using motorcycles, boats, minibuses, and flights—will be supported by a web and app-based data management system developed locally.
- In Tanzania, health care workers and local governments in regions affected by recurring outbreaks of cholera and measles will receive targeted training. Traditional healers and community leaders will also be engaged to promote awareness and enhance sample transportation. In partnership with CIHEB-Tanzania, the program will also train hotline workers at the national health call center to provide guidance on outbreak-prone diseases.
- In Uganda, VillageReach will partner with the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) to increase the frequency of infectious disease sample pickups as part of the integrated National Lab Sample Transport System. Community health teams in 45 outbreak-prone districts will be trained in biosafety and early outbreak detection.
Four of the participating countries will also implement real-time GPS tracking and remote temperature monitoring (RTM) to ensure sample quality and timely arrival at laboratories.
Expanding on Past Successes
This program builds upon VillageReach’s Polio Lab Sample Transport Program, which has been in operation across 15 African countries since 2022 in collaboration with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The initiative is part of Takeda’s Global CSR Program, which has committed approximately $8 million over four years to these five countries.
With an expected direct impact on 116,000 people and millions more benefiting indirectly from improved disease detection and surveillance systems, this initiative marks a significant step in strengthening Africa’s response to infectious disease outbreaks.