florian.gehre@gmx.de

Organisations:

• Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für Tropenmedizin (Research & academia):

I am a German microbiologist and public health expert, with over 16 years professional experience, 11 years of which in disease control interventions and outbreak response management, epidemiological surveys, diagnostic research, and capacity building in West and East Africa. My major aim is to ideally elevate evidence-based findings to the regional level to maximise validity and impact on epidemic/pandemic preparedness and policy.

In both West and East Africa I coordinated and implemented major multi-national projects, ranging from operational groundwork and capacity building to project execution and data analysis. I conducted TB Enhanced-Case Finding and TB transmission blocking intervention studies in Gambia and prepared partners in eight West African countries (Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria) to perform a regional TB drug-resistance survey. Since, we established one of the largest African mobile laboratory networks for BSL3/BSL4 pathogens (for outbreak investigation & disease surveillance) in the six partner states of the East African Community EAC (Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda). In 2019, the mobile laboratories were a crucial part in the region’s preparedness to the Ebola outbreak in DRC, and since 2020, the network is active in SARS-CoV-2 screening at points-of-entry as part of the East African pandemic preparedness. Until 2024 the network will be extended to include six bacterial culture laboratories for AMR surveillance in East Africa.