The Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) outbreak first reported in Wuhan, China on 31^stDecember 2019 has now spread to almost all continents. By March 3, 2020, already 66 countries have reported cases of COVID-19, three of them in Africa (Algeria, Egypt and Nigeria). The health systems in many African countries are ill-prepared to identify and respond quickly and appropriately to control COVID-19 and other similar infectious diseases outbreaks. The objective of this project is to strengthen the role of Member Institutions of the SACIDS Foundation for One Health to provide expert support to national Ministries of Health and public health laboratories in Southern, Central and East Africa