Sustainable strategies for Ebola virus disease outbreak preparedness in Africa: a case study on lessons learnt in countries neighbouring the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Infectious Diseases of Poverty

Case Study

Matthew Tut Kol¹  Elizabeth A. Mgamb²  Ngoy Nsenga³  Marie-Roseline D. Belizaire³  Bertrand Bamuleke⁴  Georges Batona⁴  Senya D. Nzeyimana⁵  Leopold Ouedraogo⁵  Jim T. Ntwari⁵  Jean-Pierre Mulunda Nkata⁵  Faraja Msemwa⁶  Grace E. Saguti⁶  Olushayo Oluseun Olu⁷  Joseph Francis Wamala⁷  Argata Guracha Guyo⁷  Alex Yao Sokemawu Freeman⁷  Innocent Komakech⁸  Alexander Chimbaru⁸  Vedaste Ndahindwa⁹  Walter M. Firmino^1,10  Muhau Kuku^1,10  Shikanga O-Tipo^1,11  Precious C. Kalubula^1,11  Ambrose Otau Talisuna^1,12  Ishata Conteh^1,12  Yahaya Ali Ahmed^1,12  Patrick Otim Ramadan^1,12  Jayne Tusiime^1,12  Magdalene Armah^1,12  Nadia Nsabimbona^1,12  Anderson Latt^1,13  Miriam Nanyunja^1,14  Caroline S. Ryan^1,14  Solomon Fisseha Woldetsadik^1,14  Shamiso Nyashanu^1,14 

[1] Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;WHO Country Office, Asmara, Eritrea;WHO Country Office, Bangui, Central African Republic;WHO Country Office, Brazzaville, Congo;WHO Country Office, Bujumbura, Burundi;WHO Country Office, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania;WHO Country Office, Juba, South Sudan;WHO Country Office, Kampala, Uganda;WHO Country Office, Kigali, Rwanda;WHO Country Office, Luanda, Angola;WHO Country Office, Lusaka, Zambia;WHO Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo;WHO Sub-Regional Office for Africa, Dakar, Senegal;WHO Sub-Regional Office for Africa, Nairobi, Kenya;

关键词: Ebola virus disease;    Emergency preparedness and response;    Lessons learned;    Case study;    International Health Regulations;    Democratic Republic of the Congo;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s40249-022-01040-5

 received in 2022-07-01, accepted in 2022-11-02,  发布年份 2022

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundFrom May 2018 to September 2022, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) experienced seven Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks within its borders. During the 10th EVD outbreak (2018–2020), the largest experienced in the DRC and the second largest and most prolonged EVD outbreak recorded globally, a WHO risk assessment identified nine countries bordering the DRC as moderate to high risk from cross border importation. These countries implemented varying levels of Ebola virus disease preparedness interventions. This case study highlights the gains and shortfalls with the Ebola virus disease preparedness interventions within the various contexts of these countries against the background of a renewed and growing commitment for global epidemic preparedness highlighted during recent World Health Assembly events.Main textSeveral positive impacts from preparedness support to countries bordering the affected provinces in the DRC were identified, including development of sustained capacities which were leveraged upon to respond to the subsequent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Shortfalls such as lost opportunities for operationalizing cross-border regional preparedness collaboration and better integration of multidisciplinary perspectives, vertical approaches to response pillars such as surveillance, over dependence on external support and duplication of efforts especially in areas of capacity building were also identified. A recurrent theme that emerged from this case study is the propensity towards implementing short-term interventions during active Ebola virus disease outbreaks for preparednessrather than sustainable investment into strengthening systems for improved health security in alignment with IHR obligations, the Sustainable Development Goals and advocating global policy for addressing the larger structural determinants underscoring these outbreaks.ConclusionsDespite several international frameworks established at the global level for emergency preparedness, a shortfall exists between global policy and practice in countries at high risk of cross border transmission from persistent Ebola virus disease outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo. With renewed global health commitment for country emergency preparedness resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and cumulating in a resolution for a pandemic preparedness treaty, the time to review and address these gaps and provide recommendations for more sustainable and integrative approaches to emergency preparedness towards achieving global health security is now.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2022