DHA-GEIS strengthens biosurveillance, force health protection during African Lion 26

AGADIR, Morocco - A coalition of U.S. military and research organizations deliver integrated biosurveillance support, strengthening commanders' situational awareness and directly bolstering mission readiness during African Lion 26, April 20-May 8, 2026.

The Defense Health Agency's Global Emerging Infections Surveillance program coordinated subject matter experts and laboratory partners from Walter Reed Army Institute of Research-Africa; Naval Medical Research Unit, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central; the 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory; and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Together they provided pre-exercise risk assessments, rapid laboratory analysis and real-time reporting that commanders and medical planners used to protect forces.

"By executing comprehensive human, animal and environmental surveillance, we provide improved situational awareness for medical personnel who may not regularly deploy to the U.S. Africa Command area of responsibility," said Dr. Stephanie Cinkovich, health surveillance activities integrator for DHA-GEIS. "We bolster force health protection and optimize personnel readiness through Department of War validated findings, making our teams highly aware of the specific pathogens and threat vectors circulating in the granular areas where they operate."

Operating as a network, DHA-GEIS places experts and laboratory capability where commanders need them to make timely decisions. The multi-organization approach shortens detection-to-response timelines and enables first-line medical care to adjust treatment protocols during exercises, preserving force health and sustaining mission capability.

DHA-GEIS is building a collaboration with the 1st GFML to build mutual familiarity and interoperability with service-specific deployable lab assets. DHA-GEIS either folds the 1st GFML into comprehensive efforts such as AL26 or synchronizes surveillance streams in future exercises to create a highly efficient, unified approach to force health protection, allowing partner organizations to share capabilities and streamline lab support so commanders receive faster, more actionable results.

"Biosurveillance gives commanders information on what biothreats Soldiers are being exposed to and what risks are in the region that could affect Soldiers," said U.S. Army Col. Dennison S. Segui, commander of 1st GFML. "Active biosurveillance allows commanders to respond to threats confirmed as present at that time and place, giving greater flexibility to achieve operational goals without being limited by a force health protection posture for threats that are not present."

The partnership model builds long-term familiarity between combat forces and laboratory partners, ensuring units can rely on reach-back support when specialized teams cannot deploy forward. That continuity increases force resilience during both training and operations and reduces friction when commanders need rapid health protection guidance.

Lessons from African Lion will refine laboratory reach-back workflows and shape future support packages for exercises such as Justified Accord and Flintlock. DHA-GEIS will continue embedding subject matter experts and synchronizing partner labs to sustain readiness across allies and partners.