Biosecurity and Biodefense: Lessons from Ebola Virus Outbreak

Abstract

The current Ebola outbreak should serve as a warning for Africa to organize itself in terms of three major points. Firstly, there needs to be a greater emphasis on developing a policy at regional or continental level to outline what the steps are, should a contagious outbreak be suspected. Such a policy would be adopted by regional member states since diseases such as Ebola respect no national boundaries. Secondly, research infrastructure including BSL 4 laboratories that address research on animal diseases, that currently have no cure and are endemic in Africa, should be prioritized. Ebola virus disease has shown us that an epicenter may be in Africa, but the spread can be global. Research and development should be strengthened with better collaboration and human capital development within African regions. If all the three spheres (policy, infrastructure and human capital development) are addressed, there would be a quick turnaround period in assay development to detect specific prioritized pathogens.