Developing forecasting capacity for public health emergency management in Africa using syndemics approach: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

This paper shares viewpoints on the need to develop a sustainable forecasting capacity in the African region for better health and social outcomes during and after public health emergencies in the region, and globally. Globally, forecasting is rapidly gaining acceptance in healthcare and its use in public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic has been beneficial to improve emergency preparedness and response towards the pandemic, particularly during the early and peak phases. Despite these benefits, forecasting capacity, largely in terms of expertise and support systems, remains significantly limited in Africa, where the burden of public health emergencies is highest.

The authors note that there is an unmet need to urgently develop a sustainable forecasting capacity that is rooted on syndemics approach in Africa to improve innovations, knowledge sharing and coordination for context-specific, holistic and efficient public health emergency management in the region. The authors recommends that the strategy for developing a public health emergency forecasting capacity should be one that reinforces multisectoral and multilevel collaboration, coordination and commitment among relevant stakeholders.