Weak surveillance, research gaps driving persistent Ebola outbreaks — Expert
Prof. Bamidele Iwalokun, an expert in Pathogen Genomics, Immunoinformatics and Vaccine Regulatory Science, says persistent Ebola outbreaks are being driven by weak surveillance systems, inadequate research and poor community engagement.
Iwalokun, who is also the Director of Research at the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research, said this on Monday, during an Ebola Disease Update webinar, organised by Preventive Health Nigeria Advocacy Operations Ltd.
He also attributes the continued outbreaks to insufficient funding for vaccine development and therapeutics.
“There are four major gaps undermining global efforts to contain recurrent Ebola virus outbreaks in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
“They included inadequate genomic surveillance, weak implementation research, limited scientific understanding of non-Zaire Ebola virus species and insufficient investment in research and innovation.
“The absence of comprehensive genomic intelligence for all human pathogenic Ebola virus species has weakened surveillance and response efforts,” he said.
Iwalokun said there was also limited understanding of the evolution and transmission dynamics of the Bundibugyo and other non-Zaire Ebola virus species.
He added that inadequate funding had slowed the development of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.
“These gaps have contributed to prolonged Ebola outbreaks by limiting coordinated public health interventions.
“The absence of actionable intelligence to predict outbreaks in high-risk countries, weak early warning systems and lack of specific diagnostics and vaccines for Bundibugyo and other non-Zaire Ebola virus species are additional challenges.
Iwalokun said community resistance, driven largely by cultural practices, remained a major obstacle to outbreak control.
According to him, many infected persons are reported only at advanced stages of illness after the virus has replicated extensively, increasing the risk of transmission.
He called for proactive community-level surveillance, rapid immune-based diagnostic tools and increased funding to support the development of point-of-care test kits that could be deployed in communities without transporting samples over long distances.
He also stressed the need to address cultural practices surrounding the handling and burial of deceased Ebola victims, noting that such practices continued to challenge efforts to contain the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreaks in the DRC and Uganda.
Also speaking, Dr Linus Ndegwa, an Epidemiologist with the Kenya Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, dispelled common misconceptions about Ebola transmission.
Ndegwa said Ebola was not transmitted through the air and was not spread by mosquitoes, ticks or other insect vectors.
He explained that the virus spreads only through direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids or contaminated materials via broken skin or mucous membranes.
He added that healthcare workers, family caregivers and persons handling the bodies of infected victims remained at the highest risk if appropriate infection prevention measures were not observed.
According to him, accurate public information on Ebola transmission is essential to reducing stigma, preventing panic and encouraging communities to adopt effective preventive measures.
Earlier, the Convener of the webinar, Mr Adekola Wojuola, urged Nigerians to intensify public education and awareness on Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) to prevent its spread into the country.
“Nigeria is dealing with many challenges and cannot afford an Ebola outbreak. We must take the message to our communities to ensure the country remains Ebola-free,” he said.
As of July 15, a cumulative total of 2124 confirmed cases, including 828 deaths, have been reported from the DRC.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) made this known in a statement on Friday.
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