The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed the Regional Training and Certification Program as part of the Regional Biosafety and Biosecurity Initiative (BBI).

The training and certification program aims to contribute to the development of a skilled biosafety and biosecurity workforce as part of an effort to build capacity across the African continent. Specifically, it works toward 3 objectives: 1) to develop a knowledge base that aligns with international best practices in biosafety and biosecurity that are relevant to the context of the African continent; 2) to develop working knowledge and skills to improve safety for professionals working with biological and/or potentially hazardous materials; and 3) to create a process for certifying and registering professionals in a database so that the workforce can be mobilized when needed. The training program covers four fields (individuals may specialize in one or more), including biological safety cabinets, biorisk management, biocontainment engineering, and biological waste. There are different certification levels based on proficiency, and an exam is required to obtain the official certification.

The resource describes the vision for the program, provides a proficiency matrix for the different fields, details the course content, and includes a sample project report and competency checklist for assessors. The target audience includes biosecurity and biosafety professionals, students, and trainers.