Around 75% of outbreaks zoonotic, shortage of healthworkers, epidemiologists concerning, says Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Photo: iStock Outbreaks of infectious diseases have been recognised as a leading public health challenge in Africa, with the continent recording two new outbreaks per week, which translates to over 100 outbreaks per year, according to Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As much as 75 per cent of these outbreaks are zoonotic in origin and worsened by climate change, said Jean Kaseya, director-general, Africa CDC, in a statement at the International Conference on Public Health in Africa, which began on November 27, 2023 at Zambia.
The African Group of Negotiators (AGN), ministers and various climate change and health stakeholders from the continent, too, had jointly acknowledged the link between climate change and health, an important agenda at the 28th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28).
Flooding and other natural disasters in various countries in the region indicate links between climate change and health in Africa, Kaseya said.
Experts are concerned that the recent devastating floods in East Africa due to El Nino may trigger outbreaks of malaria and other diseases.
An outbreak of new malaria cases in a region already grappling with outbreaks of cholera, with 55,400 cases reported as of late October would be catastrophic, WHO alerted.
At least 18 countries are affected by cholera, with more than 4,000 deaths, and several West African countries have been affected by dengue, said Kaseya on the first day of the conference.
In Burkina Faso, for instance, 570 people died due to dengue between January and November. Of these, 356 people or 62 per cent of the dengue deaths were recorded between mid-October and mid-November, according to the ministry of health November 24, 2023.
According to the African Development Bank, the continent loses 5-15 per cent of its GDP annually due to the impacts of climate change. So, Africa CDC is committed to supporting African countries to adopt a comprehensive One-Health approach to tackle these climate-related challenges.
But under-notification of outbreaks is concerning and so he stressed on the potential of digital technology in addressing this.
He called for leveraging the digital advancements, including artificial intelligence, to enhance the ability of the African continent for detecting emerging health threats, optimise resource allocation and ultimately improve the well-being of communities.
Connectivity will enable Africa to bridge geographical gaps and empower to address public health challenges with better efficiency and effectiveness.
Thus, climate and connectivity are among the five Cs — Community, Connectivity, Capacity, Collaboration and Climate — at the centre of the strategy to be adopted by Africa CDC for realisation of a new public health order for Africa.
He said that one of the main obstacles is the shortage of qualified health workers, especially the epidemiologists. To strengthen Africa’s health system, it is critical to address the persistent shortages and poor distribution of the health workforce.
Less than 10 per cent of African countries are able to respond to a major outbreak with a skilled health workforce.
There aren’t enough epidemiologists, who have a major role in controlling and preventing future outbreaks. The continent needs 6,000 field epidemiologists, but at present, there are only 1,900 available, according to Kaseya. So, the gap in epidemiologists is close to 70 per cent.
Further, there are now just 5,000 frontline epidemiologists on the continent, compared to 25,000 needed or a wide gap of around 80 per cent, he added.
Connectivity and collaboration between various stakeholders — healthcare provider, NGO, academic institution — will empower Africa in addressing public health challenges with better efficiency and effectiveness.
“In our interconnected world, collaboration, where we pool our expertise and work collectively, is the linchpin for safeguarding and enhancing population health. Together, across different actors, sectors and geographies, we can accomplish far more than in isolation,” he said.
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