埃博拉课程“帮助西非控制Covid-19”

[ACCRA] Strengthening disease and epidemics surveillance systems could be key in eliminating COVID-19 in West African countries, especially as it was effective during the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak, astudysays.

According to the study, theEbola西非的疾病爆发导致28,625人感染的人中有11,325人死亡，但也导致了西非州的经济社区（ECOWAS）建立了监视和疾病控制中心，以准备并应对未来的流行病。

“将约42％的资金分配给公共卫生活动和策略（通信，预防，检测，直接响应，设备；研究和卫生系统）。”

西非卫生组织CésaireAhanhanzo

Césaire Ahanhanzo, the study’s lead author and coordinator of World Bank projects at the West African Health Organization (WAHO) in Burkina Faso, tellsscidev.netthat COVID-19 has been better handled in the region than the Ebola virus outbreak because countries appeared better prepared, with a more robust response coordination at both regional and country levels.

他列举了WHO赞助的地区疾病监测系统的增强，该系统于2016年在包括几内亚和塞拉利昂在内的15个环境保护国家中的十分之一开始，作为关键。

He explains that the platform set up by ECOWAS and WAHO for sharing information and experiences, along with early initiatives for training and能力建设of the workforce to detect and manage cases, were instrumental in curtailing the disease and avoiding its quick spread across the region.

Ahanhanzo说，资源也得到了很好的管理，大约有一半的可用资金（50.7％）用来为经济措施提供资金，例如为弱势群体提供社会安全网络，赠款和贷款以支持企业。

“将约42％的资金分配给公共卫生活动和策略（communication，，，，prevention, detection, direct response, equipment;研究，，，，and health系统），其中约有23％用于在早期阶段为该地区的直接流行反应策略提供资金，而最近的疫苗或治疗量则占7.8％。”他补充说。

The study, published in theBMJ全球健康本月（5月4日）研究了西非如何动员资源来控制尼日利亚第一年的Covid-19，记录了2020年2月27日该地区的第一个案件。

“As of 28 February 2021, about US$158 billion had been mobilised by ECOWAS countries, out of which 87.8 per cent through country-specific initiatives and 12.2 per cent through multicountry initiatives,” says the study.

它补充说，Ecowas和Waho从合作伙伴中动员了约4,550万美元，并从工作人员中捐款约为40万美元。

但是尼日利亚Medway Health Limited的医师兼首席执行官Tuyi Mebawondu-Olowu告诉scidev.netthat if West African countries had ramped up tests, the number of positive COVID-19 cases and deaths may have been different.

Mebawondu-Olowu says that although the study describes responses to Ebola and other疾病such as Lassa fever as examples of past experiences, it should have looked at the use of emergency operation centres in previous outbreaks and how they could be adapted for COVID-19.

“让我们不要忘记，埃博拉病毒和拉萨[发烧]已经与我们同在了五十年，” Mebawondu-Olowu解释说。“随着时间的流逝，我们必须获得管理它们的经验。将新病毒的管理策略与数十年的流行病进行比较，可能并不容易比较。”

This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk。