ALERRT Consortium: Annual meeting on September 16 and 17, 2024, in Accra, Ghana, to present the results of the FISSA study and discuss future collaborations.

Launched in 2019, the ALERRT (African Coalition for Epidemic Research, Response, and Training) project’s primary objective is to describe the epidemiology, clinical features, severity, management, and outcomes of febrile illnesses using data collected during routine diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

During this general assembly (GA), which brought together stakeholders from the 11 countries of the ALERRT consortium (Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Nigeria, Uganda, the Central African Republic, Senegal, and Tanzania) in Accra, the aim was to review the consortium’s activities, present the preliminary results of the FISSA, CCP, the Nested Study, and Long COVID, and to meet with the consortium’s various partners to discuss the challenges faced, progress made, and tangible impacts in the field of public health in Africa during these years of collaboration.

This General Assembly provided an opportunity for these experts to provide updates on the progress of various scientific articles, present the plan for sustaining the network, and discuss data sharing among the different projects. New features of the data management platform and the training platform designed to build team capacity were explored

Emphasis was also placed on the overall impact of ALERRT, with discussions focused on sustaining the initiative and fostering future collaborations, particularly with the Mastercard Foundation and ISARIC.

Recommendations were made regarding the publication of results from the FISSA, CCP, Nested Study, and Long COVID studies, as well as the extension of the study for another year.

At the conclusion of the meeting, participants congratulated the principal investigator of the ALERRT consortium and proposed Côte d’Ivoire as the host for the next General Assembly in 2025.