The National Institute of Hygiene Equipped with a Sequencing System by Africa CDC

---

Extract from the article: The National Institute of Hygiene (INH) in Lomé has taken a new step in strengthening its diagnostic and genomic surveillance capacities with the acquisition of a MiSeq i100 Plus System sequencing machine, received on October 28, 2025, in Lomé....

---

The National Institute of Hygiene (INH) in Lomé has taken a new step in strengthening its diagnostic and genomic surveillance capacities with the acquisition of a MiSeq i100 Plus System sequencing machine, received on October 28, 2025, in Lomé. This donation is part of the “Saving Lives and Livelihoods (SLL)” initiative, funded by the Mastercard Foundation and implemented by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in collaboration with the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM). The official handover ceremony took place at the INH premises, in the presence of key stakeholders from the public health sector, technical and financial partners, and the Institute’s scientific staff.

The “Saving Lives and Livelihoods (SLL)” initiative aims to provide several national public health laboratories across Africa with technical and logistical support to strengthen their molecular diagnostic and genomic surveillance capacities. This continental initiative seeks to save lives and protect livelihoods by reinforcing African public health systems and developing the necessary laboratory infrastructure for improved epidemic preparedness and response.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, the Secretary General of the Ministry praised this initiative, noting that it supports the government’s efforts to modernize health infrastructure and enhance preparedness for health emergencies.

“With this equipment, our country will be better equipped to quickly detect pathogens and strengthen epidemic response. It is a major asset for public health,” he stated.

For his part, Dr. Maman Issaka, Head of Laboratory and representative of the Director of the National Institute of Hygiene, expressed deep gratitude to the partners for their continued support.

“This equipment strengthens the INH’s mission in diagnostics, research, and health monitoring. It will enable our teams to contribute more effectively to the genomic surveillance of infectious agents at both national and regional levels,” he said.

Dr. Alinon Kokou, Regional Director of Africa CDC West Africa, emphasized the importance of this investment for public health in Africa.

“The Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative aims to equip African countries with the means to prevent, detect, and respond effectively to health threats. We have already visited several West African countries before arriving in Togo under the same project. By supporting Togo through the INH, we are strengthening the African network of laboratories capable of producing local genomic data for rapid and coordinated responses,” he explained.

Launched by Africa CDC with the support of the Mastercard Foundation, the SLL initiative aims to save lives and protect livelihoods across Africa by consolidating public health systems and developing laboratory infrastructure on the continent.

The handover of this sequencing system to the INH thus symbolizes a collective commitment toward a better-prepared Africa, with greater scientific autonomy in responding to epidemics.

Raymond DZAKPATA