COVID-19 Pandemic Readiness Status of West Africa

Abstract Background From the onset of COVID-19 pandemic in late December 2019, countries have been stepping up their pandemic preparedness and response activities in accordance with WHO recommendations. Informed by the recent lessons learned from the West Africa Ebola Virus Disease outbreak, and subsequent investments made in public health emergency preparedness and response in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region, the West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO) is providing regional leadership in the COVID-19 pandemic preparedness and response. We assessed the COVID-19 pandemic readiness status of West Africa. Methods We conducted survey of all 15 ECOWAS member states between February 27 and March 15, 2020. We purposively selected a minimum of two respondents from each of the 15 ECOWAS member states – interviewing 37 in all using an interviewer-administered questionnaire based on the nine item WHO national capacity review tool for novel corona virus (nCOV). We also reviewed reports of COVID-19 pandemic preparedness meetings and trainings organized by WAHO. We performed a thematic analysis on the data and described the strengths and weaknesses of the ongoing pandemic readiness efforts of West Africa. Results Overall, the strengths of pandemic readiness of the region were: capacity to test 86.7% (13/15) of member states; functional incident management systems (100%); rapid response teams 100%, and at least two of the three tiers of field epidemiology workforce (100%). Within the region also, there existed good cross-border collaborations among member states, active participation of health ministers of member states in regional coordination meetings and decision making. Member states described the numbers of qualified biomedical scientists/technicians, field epidemiologists, risk communicators, and COVID-19 case management teams as inadequate. None of the member states had stockpiles of COVID-19 test kits, laboratory supplies, and personal protective equipment. Conclusion ECOWAS member states are taking appropriate COVID-19 pandemic preparedness measures in all pillars towards a regional response. Rather than a total lack, there are insufficiencies in numbers of skilled workforce, logistics, and supplies. Governments of member states are supportive of the coordination and technical direction of WAHO and WHO.

Download Full-text

A systematic review and meta-analysis of patient data from the West Africa (2013–16) Ebola virus disease epidemic

Clinical Microbiology and Infection ◽

10.1016/j.cmi.2019.06.032 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (11) ◽

pp. 1307-1314 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A.M. Rojek ◽

A. Salam ◽

R.J. Ragotte ◽

E. Liddiard ◽

A. Elhussain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

West Africa ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Patient Data ◽

Ebola Virus Disease ◽

The West

Download Full-text

Lessons learned from implementation of a national hotline for Ebola virus disease emergency preparedness in South Sudan

Conflict and Health ◽

10.1186/s13031-021-00360-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Velma K. Lopez ◽

Sharmila Shetty ◽

Angelo Thon Kouch ◽

Matthew Tut Khol ◽

Richard Lako ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emergency Preparedness ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

South Sudan ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Signs And Symptoms ◽

Case Definition ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Ebola Virus Disease ◽

Humanitarian Emergency

Abstract Background The world’s second largest Ebola outbreak occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo from 2018 to 2020. At the time, risk of cross-border spread into South Sudan was very high. Thus, the South Sudan Ministry of Health scaled up Ebola preparedness activities in August 2018, including implementation of a 24-h, toll-free Ebola virus disease (EVD) hotline. The primary purpose was the hotline was to receive EVD alerts and the secondary goal was to provide evidence-based EVD messages to the public. Methods To assess whether the hotline augmented Ebola preparedness activities in a protracted humanitarian emergency context, we reviewed 22 weeks of call logs from January to June 2019. Counts and percentages were calculated for all available data. Results The hotline received 2114 calls during the analysis period, and an additional 1835 missed calls were documented. Callers used the hotline throughout 24-h of the day and were most often men and individuals living in Jubek state, where the national capital is located. The leading reasons for calling were to learn more about EVD (68%) or to report clinical signs or symptoms (16%). Common EVD-related questions included EVD signs and symptoms, transmission, and prevention. Only one call was documented as an EVD alert, and there was no documentation of reported symptoms or whether the person met the EVD case definition. Conclusions Basic surveillance information was not collected from callers. To trigger effective outbreak investigation from hotline calls, the hotline should capture who is reporting and from where, symptoms and travel history, and whether this information should be further investigated. Electronic data capture will enhance data quality and availability of information for review. Additionally, the magnitude of missed calls presents a major challenge. When calls are answered, there is potential to provide health communication, so risk communication needs should be considered. However, prior to hotline implementation, governments should critically assess whether their hotline would yield actionable data and if other data sources for surveillance or community concerns are available.

Download Full-text

Offering patients more: how the West Africa Ebola outbreak can shape innovation in therapeutic research for emerging and epidemic infections

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2016.0294 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 372 (1721) ◽

pp. 20160294 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Amanda M. Rojek ◽

Peter W. Horby

Keyword(s):

West Africa ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Nipah Virus ◽

Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽

Disease Outbreaks ◽

International Travel ◽

Marburg Virus ◽

World Health ◽

The West

Although, after an epidemic of over 28 000 cases, there are still no licensed treatments for Ebola virus disease (EVD), significant progress was made during the West Africa outbreak. The pace of pre-clinical development was exceptional and a number of therapeutic clinical trials were conducted in the face of considerable challenges. Given the on-going risk of emerging infectious disease outbreaks in an era of unprecedented population density, international travel and human impact on the environment it is pertinent to focus on improving the research and development landscape for treatments of emerging and epidemic-prone infections. This is especially the case since there are no licensed therapeutics for some of the diseases considered by the World Health Organization as most likely to cause severe outbreaks—including Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Marburg virus, Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever and Nipah virus. EVD, therefore, provides a timely exemplar to discuss the barriers, enablers and incentives needed to find effective treatments in advance of health emergencies caused by emerging infectious diseases. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The 2013–2016 West African Ebola epidemic: data, decision-making and disease control’.

Download Full-text

Catching Chances: The Movement to Be on the Ground and Research Ready before an Outbreak

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v10080439 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 439 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

David Brett-Major ◽

James Lawler

Keyword(s):

West Africa ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Marburg Virus ◽

Just In Time ◽

The West ◽

The World ◽

Medical Countermeasures

After more than 28,000 Ebola virus disease cases and at least 11,000 deaths in West Africa during the 2014–2016 epidemic, the world remains without a licensed vaccine or therapeutic broadly available and demonstrated to alleviate suffering. This deficiency has been felt acutely in the two, short, following years with two Ebola virus outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and a Marburg virus outbreak in Uganda. Despite billions of U.S. dollars invested in developing medical countermeasures for filoviruses in the antecedent decades, resulting in an array of preventative, diagnostic, and therapeutic products, none are available on commercial shelves. This paper explores why just-in-time research efforts in the field during the West Africa epidemic failed, as well as some recent initiatives to prevent similarly lost opportunities.

Download Full-text