Various hoisted flags of southern African countries lined-up.

Congratulations: SADCA obtains its international recognition

Congratulations are in order for our partners in Southern Africa. On 23 March 2023, the Southern African Development Community Cooperation in Accreditation Mutual Recognition Arrangement (SADCA MRA) was accepted as a recognized Regional Accreditation Cooperation. This official recognition was given by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) MRA for the accreditation of calibration and testing…

A blue world map focused on the African continent made of dots. The map features red circles and points connected by fine lines.

Quality for Africa: Assessing Zambia’s national quality infrastructure

The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) has published a new assessment report providing an analysis of the national quality infrastructure (NQI) of Zambia. PTB is supporting the implementation of a long-term strategy called “Quality for Africa” within the scope of the Pan-African “Upgrading of Quality Infrastructure in Africa” project. One of the objectives is to assist the…

Image of a cotton flower

Ethiopia’s road to a green textile sector

Stakeholders draft measures to improve quality infrastructure for organic cotton Ethiopia is a predominantly agricultural country which is particularly known for exporting coffee, tea and spices. However, cotton cultivation and cotton processing also have a long tradition and the export market for cotton is steadily growing. It is especially organic cotton for which the global…

Four African women doctors in front of a laboratory bench analysing Covid-19 test samples

Dual Vocational Training for Pharmaceutical Production Specialists

On 8 July 2022, a new certification course supported by German Development Cooperation was launched. This course is a one-year training programme for pharmaceutical production specialists in Kenya. Pharmaceutical production specialists are an essential resource for pharmaceutical manufacturers, as they operate many kinds of pharmaceutical production equipment, including granulators, tablet presses, film coaters, and automated…

Two hands in close-up wearing disposable blue medical gloves taking samples from an ear of grain with tweezers. Next to them is a petri dish already containing grain samples.

Using innovation potential: Food and agriculture in Ethiopia

Creating the framework conditions for the production of high-quality, competitive products is a major challenge for the agricultural and food sectors in Ethiopia. Quality infrastructure significantly contributes to managing this task and makes it possible to better tap the potential contribution of the agricultural and food sectors, especially in rural areas. This challenge was the…

(f.l.t.r.) Ulysse Ateba Ngoa (PEI), Helge Senkpiel (PTB), Dr. Jean Fidèle Bationo (AUDA NEDAP), Ndeye Magatte Diao (LNCM Senegal) are standing in front of the Paul-Ehrlich Institut.

Vac­cine Pro­duc­tion: Strength­en­ing Qual­i­ty In­fras­truc­ture in African Coun­tries

Regulatory experts from Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa and representatives from regional harmonisation initiatives visit the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut At a four-day meeting at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, representatives of the regulatory authorities in Ghana (Food and Drugs Authority, FDA), Rwanda (Food and Drugs Authority, FDA), South Africa (South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, SAHPRA) and Senegal (Agence sénégalaise de Réglementation…

German Federal Minister Svenja Schulze with representatives of African countries in front of the so-called BioNTainer.

Mobile containers for local COVID-19 vaccine production in Africa

Expanding production capacities for vaccines is an important instrument to prevent and fight global pandemics. New approaches aimed toward finding solutions for local vaccine production are being provided by BioNTech through modular containers called “BioNTainer”. With this invention – the name being a cross between container and the company name BioNTech – COVID-19 vaccines will…

A crumbling wall of concrete criss-crossed by steel bars

A future-ready material: Cement

Virtual training in cement testing Of all the urban structures due to be built in Africa by 2050, only 20 percent have been completed to date. In other words, 80 percent of the structures planned for the continent’s cities will be constructed within the next 30 years. What’s more, by the end of the century,…