There have been outbreaks of infectious diseases all over the world in recent years, and epidemics in Asia, Africa and South America have been particularly serious. The spread of epidemics seriously endangers human health and causes regional, and even global, economic and social problems.

To better control epidemics in outbreak areas and effectively cut off the transmission routes, it is necessary to establish a scientific research cooperation network and epidemic prevention and control mechanism in high-incidence areas to improve research, early warning systems, response and prevention capabilities.

So the Institute Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IPS-CAS) with its core scientific and technological advantages in basic and applied research in infectious diseases, combined with the Pasteur International Network Alliance (IPIN) and more than a dozen universities and research institutions around the world to jointly launch the China-Africa Rainbow Initiative in 2016.

This initiative is also complementary to the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI), the China-Africa Public Health Plan and the World Health Organization(WHO) Global Health 2030 Action Plan.

It is a scientific and technological action plan to enhance prevention and control of emergent diseases in Asia and Africa through high-level research, and to promote cooperation in the transfer of scientific research achievements.

In 2016, IPS-CAS assumed the presidency of IPIN Asia-Pacific region. The IPIN -- with more than 22,000 employees and 33 member organizations located in five continents, 26 countries and regions -- is highly compatible with the hot spots of new epidemics, and consistent with the countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

Epidemics do not recognize borders, and the prevention and control of epidemics need action without borders.

We decided to make full use of the cooperation mechanism between China and France in carrying out the BRI in Asia and Africa, especially the resources, knowledge and technology accumulated over a long period of time in the global prevention and control of infectious diseases by France.

On this basis, IPS-CAS continues to deepen international cooperation in basic research, technology research and development, industrialization and personnel training, which is also a contribution to strengthen our country within the framework of BRI cooperation with the international community and the WHO.

The initiative has received a global response. International participants include the members of IPIN located in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, the Central African Republic, France and Italy, as well as collaborative institutions and universities in Belgium, Spain and Australia, together with hundreds of laboratories and thousands of researchers.

The effectiveness of the initiative has been proved in a variety of fields.

For example, the Institut Pasteur du Dakar (IPD) in Senegal has taken the lead in seeking cooperation with IPS-CAS. IPD is a leader institute in the prevention and control of epidemics in Africa. Its research scope covers vast areas such as West Africa, Central Africa, South Africa and South America.

As an important project of the initiative, Senegal has made the establishment of the China-Senegal Research, Development and Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, jointly established by IPS-CAS and IPD, as a priority for cooperation with China. It expects to create an innovative source of health science and technology in Africa and provide wide coverage.

This is in line with China's "hematopoietic" aid strategy for healthcare in Africa, and helps build a transformation platform for Chinese pharmaceutical enterprises to enter the African market. The president of Senegal has allocated 2 hectares of land for the center in the new City of Diamniadio, adding a yellow fever vaccine production line with an investment of 23 million euros(26 million US dollars).

Additionally, a joint office of the center has been established in Kenya to assist cooperation in the whole of Africa. The innovative drugs and vaccines developed by IPS-CAS, such as new antimalarial targets, Zika vaccine and so on, will carry out Phase I clinical research in the center in 2019, which will start construction of overseas clinical trial bases led by the CAS.

In training and education, IPS-CAS has held two editions of IPIN Training Course on Infectious Diseases in Asia-Pacific Region in the past two years.

Through long-term cooperation, the initiative intends to build 4-6 representative research bases in Southeast Asia and Africa, and 1-2 demonstration bases for integration of production, education and medicine. The initiative will acquire a number of technologies and products for pathogen monitoring and diagnosis in Asian and African countries, a number of technologies and products for treatment and prevention of major epidemics (including drug-resistant pathogens), and a series of strategies and means for regional epidemics, global epidemic control and hazard removal.

The implementation of the plan will help form a win-win situation of "blood-making" cooperation focusing on capacity-building of infectious disease prevention and control and build a "prevention shield" which will provide social and public security for the implementation of the BRI.

The author is director general of Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The related paper was also published on the Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of China Watch.

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