Disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, and outbreak response in Eastern and Southern Africa

This paper examines disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, and outbreak response in Eastern and Southern Africa. The report assesses the five-year action plan for the Africa CDC strengthening regional public health institutions and capacity for surveillance and response program. The mounting human and economic toll of COVID-19 has brought the challenge of regional disease surveillance and control to the forefront of the policy discourse around global public health. The African continent is more integrated than ever before, with free trade across countries and open borders allowing the large-scale movement of people and goods; but while greater connectivity creates new economic opportunities, it also heightens the risk posed by communicable diseases.

The paper recommends the following:

• Operationalize RISLNET in the Eastern and Southern Africa regions within the next 12 months.
• Strengthen regional and continental laboratory networks by analyzing laboratory capabilities and creating standardized guidelines for building staff capacity in diagnostics and strategic planning.
• Build institutional and staff capacity in the areas of testing, quality control, biosafety, specimen referral, and information management.
• Enhance national, regional, and continental disease-surveillance networks by enabling the adoption of a unified electronic data platform while building data-reporting and analytical capacity.
• Develop multi-sectoral, multi-hazard preparedness and response plans, and conduct regular simulation exercises at all levels.