The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control (CDC) have launched a new laboratory network that will reinforce genome sequencing of coronavirus in Africa.

The initiative seeks to study the possible mutations of the virus in order to prepare better responses in public health.

Experts from the WHO and the Africa CDC believe that the move will help countries understand the different strains of the SARS-Cov-2 virus, in order in improve the countries’ responses, treatments or possible vaccines and make them more relevant to the continent’s population.

Twelve specialised laboratories will join the network in Africa. Ten different lineages have been identified so far in the continent.

This move comes after the Africa CDC said that early reports were showing that the Covid-19 curve was flattening in Africa, which has a significantly lower number of cases and deaths because of the virus when compared to the rest of the world.

But the WHO has cautioned against any premature celebration as African nations are also testing their populations much less than the rest of the world.
Image caption: The move will help African countries understand the different strains of the SARS-Cov-2 virus.