Africa must invest decisively in laboratory systems, digital surveillance, and genomic science if it is to withstand the next global health shock.That was the consensus at the second panel discussion of the Roche Africa Press Day in Kenya, where policymakers, scientists, and industry leaders examined whether the continent is prepared for another pandemic.The session focused on the global pandemic preparedness resolution adopted at the 78th World Health Assembly and the ongoing negotiations toward a legally binding pandemic agreement.Dr Sultani Matendechero of the Kenya Ministry of Health said the proposed agreement introduces stronger obligations among Member States, particularly under Article 12, which establishes the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system.“The system aims to enable the global community to detect pathogens with pandemic potential as early as possible,” he said.Under the framework, countries would rapidly share genetic sequencing data and pathogen samples to accelerate vaccine therapeutics and diagnostics development while ensuring fair distribution of the resulting benefits.He noted that during COVID 19, many provisions of the International Health Regulations were discretionary, which contributed to vaccine nationalism and inequitable access.“This time there is a push for obligatory compliance,” he explained, adding that negotiations are expected to conclude ahead of the 79th World Health Assembly in May 2026.Dr Lucy Mazyanga of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Eastern Africa Regional Coordinating Centre believes the deeper issue is sustainability.“During outbreaks, funding flows quickly for diagnostics and surveillance,” she said. “When the emergency subsides, resources decline, and laboratories struggle to maintain equipment, workforce capacity, and supply chains.”She argued that laboratory services must be embedded within routine national health financing frameworks rather than treated as temporary emergency programs.“When laboratory services are included in universal health coverage benefit packages, diagnostic testing becomes part of routine care rather than donor-dependent activity.”Countries in Eastern Africa are increasingly adopting integrated diagnostic platforms where equipment used for COVID-19 or MPOX can also support TB, HIV, and malaria testing.“Multi-disease platforms improve efficiency and strengthen the return on investment,” she said.The Africa CDC has also launched a central continental data repository designed to connect laboratories across Africa into a unified surveillance ecosystem.“For a laboratory technician working in a remote border district, the benefits are practical,” Dr Mazyanga explained. “Results can feed into national and continental systems in real time, so isolated data becomes part of a coordinated early warning system.”Dr Allan Pamba of Roche Diagnostics warned that recent global disruptions exposed Africa’s vulnerability when external supply chains are interrupted.“At one point, viral load testing for about 40 per cent of HIV patients in Africa was affected,” he said, referring to a temporary halt in certain international health support programs. “Some countries even lost access to patient data stored outside the continent.”He described the moment as a wake-up call on health sovereignty.“The solution lies within us,” Dr Pamba said. “Africa must reflect on how healthcare is delivered and how we finance it sustainably.”Diagnostics, he emphasised, inform up to 70 per cent of disease management decisions, making early testing central to both cost control and better outcomes.The discussion also highlighted Africa’s limited representation in global genomic research. African genomic data accounts for less than 3 per cent of global databases, which limits the continent’s influence in treatment development.Through its Africa Genome Program, Roche is partnering with institutions to expand African participation in genomic science.“It took ten years and about 2.7 billion US dollars to sequence the first human genome” Dr Pamba noted. “Today, technology allows sequencing in less than four hours. That changes everything for cancer treatment and outbreak surveillance.”Panellists stressed that technology alone will not guarantee resilience. Political unity and coordinated negotiation remain critical.“It is very easy to move Africa in 54 different directions because we have 54 borders,” Dr Pamba said. “If we hold hands as one Africa and align on our irreducible minimums in negotiations, we will win.”Dr Mazyanga underscored the importance of pooled procurement mechanisms under the Africa CDC, which allow Member States to aggregate demand and negotiate collectively for medical supplies.“Countries with fewer resources can leverage the purchasing power of those with more, ensuring equitable access at lower cost,” she said.On access to diagnostics, Dr Pamba acknowledged that more than 80 per cent of Africans still lack access to quality testing.“Our ambition is to expand access from about 50 million Africans to 500 million within the next decade,” he said. “That requires partnership across governments, manufacturers, NGOs, and communities.”Kenya’s Ministry of Health confirmed that preventive services, including cancer screening, are being scaled under the country’s Universal Health Coverage program through the Primary Healthcare Fund.“We have historically placed too little emphasis on screening,” Dr Matendechero said. “Prevention and early detection must become central.”He also acknowledged the need for stronger African-led clinical trials and operational research to reduce reliance on external evidence.“We are overly reliant on external evidence, and that must change,” he said.As the session closed, the message was clear. Resilience is not built during a crisis. It is built through deliberate investment in laboratories, digital systems research capacity, and coordinated governance, long before the next outbreak strikes.“Laboratories are not emergency assets,” Dr Mazyanga reminded the audience. “They are essential infrastructure for resilient health systems.”