West Africa is most at risk of fatal haemorrhagic fever epidemics, including Ebola, researchers said on Wednesday, calling for greater preparedness to save lives, Thomson Reuters Foundation reports.
A study in The Lancet medical journal assessed the likelihood of four viruses – Ebola, Lassa, Marburg and Crimean-Congo – spreading on the continent, charting progress from a first human case through to a potential pandemic, the report said.
Rodents and bats are said to be the transmitters of the virus which causes fever, vomit and bleeding and is often fatal.
According to the World Health Organization, the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone between 2013 and 2016 was the world’s worst recorded outbreak which left about 11,300 people dead.
By mapping high risk areas, African nations can better prepare for potential epidemics by improving surveillance of animals that transmit the diseases, rapidly detecting initial cases and investing in stronger health systems, the study said.
Simon Hay, a professor of global health at the University of Washington said that the study’s framework provides an important tool for pinpointing where local surveillance and preemptive countermeasures are most needed.
In reference to Ebola, Hay noted the need to prevent or stop epidemics at the earliest possible stages.
The study said Guéckédou in eastern Guinea, where the 2013 outbreak began, remains one of the most likely areas for Ebola to spiral into another epidemic, this according to the report.
Africa’s most recent Ebola outbreak was in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in which four people died. The outbreak, which ended in July, was a record eighth in the country where the disease was first discovered in 1976.
According to the study, parts of Central African Republic, Chad, Somalia and South Sudan were also vulnerable to the four viruses, where conflict has damaged many health facilities.
The researchers said it was important to focus on preparedness in different parts of each country, not just at the national level, as some areas are more vulnerable.
Osman Sankoh, a study co-author who runs a network of health research centers based in Ghana, called on local decision makers to evaluate their existing strategies and plan for a future where the diseases can be prevented.
