Tackling Outbreaks Through OCTOPUS

Chuka University is strengthening its global research profile and advancing its contribution to public health preparedness in Africa through the European Union-funded One Collaborative Training Program for Outbreak Preparedness and Universal Surveillance (OCTOPUS) Project. The initiative brings together a 12-partner consortium from Africa and Europe to strengthen disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness and public health expertise across Sub-Saharan Africa, with Chuka University co-leading the project alongside the Technical University of Denmark.

The 48-month Horizon Europe initiative is hosting its official launch and implementation summit at Chuka University from 19 to 22 October 2026. The four-day meeting marks a key milestone in translating the consortium’s shared vision into practical training, collaborative research and coordinated implementation, with partners aligning objectives, defining responsibilities and establishing priorities for the first six to twelve months.

Through OCTOPUS, Chuka University and its consortium partners will advance expertise in epidemiology, biostatistics and modelling, applied analytics and practical field research. By harnessing real-world health and surveillance data, the project aims to strengthen the capacity of public health professionals and researchers to detect disease threats, interpret emerging patterns and inform timely, evidence-based responses to outbreaks.

The project will provide diverse training opportunities, including two-year Master of Science programmes, practical placements, short courses, workshops, datathons and in-service training. By connecting academic learning with hands-on research and applied data analysis, OCTOPUS seeks to develop a skilled public health workforce capable of strengthening regional surveillance systems and improving preparedness for public health emergencies.

The 12-partner consortium brings together institutions from Africa and Europe, including Chuka University and the Technical University of Denmark, alongside the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), Université Évangélique en Afrique (UEA), Uganda’s Ministry of Health, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Aga Khan University Kenya (AKU), Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College (KCMUCo), the University of Rwanda (UR) and Institut National de Santé Publique (INSP), Burundi. Through this international partnership, the institutions will combine their expertise to advance collaborative training, research and public health capacity building.

Co-funded through the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme, the project falls under the call HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2025-02-FELLOW. For Chuka University, OCTOPUS underscores its commitment to research excellence, international collaboration and innovative training. By co-leading this continental and international initiative, the University is expanding its contribution to knowledge generation, professional development and the development of stronger public health systems across Sub-Saharan Africa.