The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control calls on African countries to fund efforts to combat Ebola.
Africa is urged to rely on its own resources to combat epidemics.
Written by Mohamed Ragab
The Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Jean Kassia, called on African countries to increase their investments in the health sector and finance Ebola control efforts from their own resources, stressing that the continent cannot continue to rely on external funding to confront epidemics and health crises.
This comes amid the continued Ebola outbreak in a number of African countries, most notably the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has seen a rise in the number of infections and deaths in recent months.
Ebola outbreak puts health systems under pressure
The African official noted that the continent is facing one of the most serious Ebola outbreaks in recent years, with new cases continuing to be recorded and the number of victims rising, which is putting great pressure on national health systems.
He explained that health response teams face numerous challenges, including limited resources, difficulty accessing some affected areas, and the need to strengthen the capabilities of laboratories and medical centers.
He also stressed that delays in detecting some infections and tracing contacts contributed to the widening spread of the disease, which calls for strengthening the capabilities of African countries to respond quickly to health crises.
The lack of vaccines further complicates the crisis.
The efforts to combat the current outbreak face additional challenges due to the lack of an approved vaccine for the strain causing the current epidemic, which makes prevention, early detection and medical isolation among the most important means available to reduce the spread of infection.
The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention stressed the need to invest in scientific research and the production of vaccines and medicines within the continent, which would contribute to reducing dependence on foreign sources and enhance African health security.
Weak pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa
Most African countries still rely heavily on imports of medicines, vaccines and medical supplies, as clearly revealed by recent health crises, from the coronavirus pandemic to the Ebola outbreak.
Health experts believe that developing the African pharmaceutical industry is one of the most important challenges facing the continent, especially with the increasing number of epidemics and cross-border diseases.
Calls to boost investment in the health sector
Kasia stressed that investment in public health should become a national priority for African governments, noting that building strong health systems contributes to protecting citizens and reducing human and economic losses caused by epidemics.
He also called for strengthening cooperation between African countries and exchanging experiences and resources, which would contribute to improving the response to health crises and enhancing national capacities in the areas of prevention and treatment.
Observers believe that the current Ebola outbreak represents a new test of the ability of African countries to meet health challenges, and highlights the need for sustainable funding for the health sector and the promotion of self-sufficiency in the areas of medicine and vaccines.
