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HealthQuiet 4d · day 5

West African lab scientists warn health systems are weakening again

Meeting in Lome, Togo, scientists urge governments to rebuild outbreak detection capacity as Congo battles a record-fast Ebola outbreak.

newest coverage 4d agosummary written 5d ago12 pieces44 likes & upvotes NewswiresMastodonGoogle NewsBluesky

What to know

  • West African laboratory scientists meeting in Lome, Togo, say regional health systems have weakened since the last major epidemics and called on governments to invest in outbreak detection.
  • The warning coincides with an ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo from the rare Bundibugyo virus, which the Africa CDC calls history's fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak, with over 3,600 deaths among nearly 7,500 reported cases since mid-May and likely undercounted threefold.
  • Scientists cite lessons from the 2014-2016 West African Ebola outbreak, which killed at least 11,000 people, and from COVID-19, and want less dependence on Western vaccine supplies.
  • Governments are urged to invest in both diagnostic infrastructure and trained personnel to detect future outbreaks earlier.

Kossi Kabo Head, Association of Medical Biologists of TogoArthur Bodurie Calvin Garber President, Sierra Leone Association of Medical Laboratory ScientistsAfrica Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Regional public health agency

West African lab scientists warn health systems are weakening again
ABC News

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

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Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 2:56 AM ET
  1. 2

    AP wire story on the warning circulates across US outlets

    The Associated Press report on the scientists' warning was republished by outlets including the Orlando Sentinel, Mercury News, Baltimore Sun and ABC News.

    • drianweissman.bsky.social

      West African laboratory scientists called on governments to strengthen capacity to detect disease outbreaks to avoid another major outbreak, saying health systems across the region are becoming weaker.

      drianweissman.bsky.socialBluesky4d ago25▲view on Bluesky ↗
  2. 1

    Scientists urge governments to strengthen outbreak detection

    On Friday, the scientists called on West African governments to cooperate on disease detection and invest in diagnostic capacity, citing lessons from Ebola and COVID-19.

    “We need to anticipate these outbreaks. We shouldn’t wait for an epidemic to emerge somewhere before responding. By then, it would be too late.”
    — Kossi Kabo

    1. 6 outlets first by ABC News, 5d ago · also Baltimore Sun, Mercury News, Orlando Sentinel, Philadelphia Inquirer, Breaking News, Latest News and Videos · read ↗

  3. background

    Lab scientists convene in Lome to assess outbreak preparedness — Scientists from West Africa gathered this week in Togo's capital to discuss the region's preparedness for outbreaks and its dependence on vaccines from Western countries.

  4. background

    Africa CDC says Congo outbreak is history's fastest-spreading Ebola event — The rare Bundibugyo virus has killed over 3,600 people among nearly 7,500 reported cases in Congo since mid-May; the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says actual tolls are likely three times higher.

  5. background

    Hantavirus detected on cruise ship off Cape Verde — Hantavirus was found on a cruise ship that docked in the Atlantic off Cape Verde, adding to regional disease-detection concerns.

  6. background

    Congo announces fresh Ebola outbreak from Bundibugyo virus — Congolese authorities announced a new deadly Ebola outbreak in mid-May; the virus reportedly spread undetected for several weeks before detection.