At a glance
CDC has collaborated with Benin’s public health partners since 1999. CDC Benin works closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other organizations to build effective public health collaborations and partnerships that detect, prevent, and respond to global public health threats. CDC’s work aims to protect the health of Americans and support public health around the world.
Key accomplishments
- Support the evaluation of surveillance systems, analysis of data for different diseases, and assessment of care and treatment for severe malaria cases among children under five years of age.
- Provide training, reference testing, reagents, and supplies through the International Reagent Resource (IRR) to detect measles, rubella, and polio.
- More than 165 public health workers have graduated from the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) since 2016.
- Support malaria prevention, delivering over 11 million mosquito nets, 20 million rapid diagnostic tests, 20 million fast-acting malaria medicines, and 8 million doses of preventive treatment to pregnant women between 2007 and 2025.
Global health security
CDC’s global health security work in Benin focuses on strengthening public health systems and protecting the health and livelihoods of communities in the country and abroad – ultimately keeping Americans safe – in the following core area:
Workforce development
Since 2016, CDC has supported FETP in Benin. The program now includes Frontline and a new Intermediate level established in 2022. FETP has trained 100 Frontline graduates, 50 Frontline One Health graduates, and 15 Intermediate graduates, strengthening Benin’s workforce to identify and stop outbreaks before they spread. Trainees evaluate surveillance systems, analyze disease data, and assess care—such as management of severe malaria in children under five.
FETP graduates have made significant public health impact. For example, during the 2024 polio response, 12 graduates deployed across 12 municipalities, completing 335 visits and detecting 31 cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP).
FETP teams also identified missed cases of Lassa fever, leading to revised case definitions and reactivated surveillance. They also led cholera investigations with contact tracing and community awareness efforts, and supported COVID-19 case detection, contact tracing, quarantine follow-up, and traveler management.
The program’s One Health innovations shifted animal disease reporting from monthly to weekly and enabled early detection and containment of H9 avian influenza. Additionally, FETP residents and graduates have advanced scientific literature. Twenty-two abstracts were accepted by AFENET 2023, with one placing second for the conference’s “Best Poster” award. This highlights the program’s value in rapid detection, response, and evidence generation.
Malaria
Malaria, which is endemic to Benin, is the leading cause of death among children under five years of age and of disease among adults. Between 2008 and 2025, CDC collaborated with partners to prevent and control malaria in Benin.
CDC supported:
- Distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets
- Indoor residual spraying
- Preventing malaria in pregnancy
- Improving diagnostics and managing care for patients
- Increasing access to rapid diagnostic tests, artemisinin-based combination therapies, and intermittent preventive treatment in public health facilities and private clinics
- Improving surveillance and data quality for decision-making
- Evaluating the impact of interventions
- Monitoring vector resistance and the efficacy of drug therapies
Measles and rubella
CDC serves as a Global Specialized Laboratory in the World Health Organization (WHO) Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network. CDC provides reagents and supplies through the IRR along with training and reference testing.
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