{"id":534387,"date":"2026-06-14T06:31:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T06:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/534387\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T06:31:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T06:31:08","slug":"africa-can-now-teach-the-world-a-thing-or-two-about-epidemic-response-dr-moussa-sarr-africa-cdc-consultant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/534387\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cAfrica Can Now Teach the World a Thing or Two About Epidemic Response\u201d \u2014 Dr. Moussa Sarr, Africa CDC Consultant"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the Bundibugyo Ebola strain spreads through the DRC and Uganda, Africa CDC consultant Dr. Moussa Sarr urges a measured perspective. Africa is far better equipped than during the 2014 crisis, but it now faces a variant without an approved vaccine. In this interview, Dr. Sarr highlights the continent’s often-overlooked scientific, therapeutic, and human expertise.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ecofin Agency:<\/strong> Can you give us an overview of the ongoing Ebola outbreak?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Moussa Sarr:<\/strong> Africa is currently battling an Ebola outbreak, which is centered primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. It is caused by the Bundibugyo species. It is worth noting that the Ebola virus has several strains; depending on the specific strain, vaccines and treatments may or may not be available. The Bundibugyo species is quite rare, and there is currently no licensed vaccine or approved treatment for it.<\/p>\n

While the situation demands heightened vigilance, Africa is much better prepared today than it was during the 2014-2016 West African epidemic<\/p>\n

The DRC has reported around 320 cases and 48 deaths, while Uganda has seen 15 cases and one death. (Editor’s note: As of Thursday, June 11, 2026, the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak totals 654 confirmed cases and 129 deaths, mostly affecting eastern DRC [635 cases\/127 deaths], with limited transmission in Uganda [19 cases\/2 deaths].)<\/p>\n

EA: Is this situation comparable to the 2014-2016 epidemic?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. M.S.: <\/strong>While the situation demands heightened vigilance, Africa is much better prepared today than it was during the 2014-2016 West African epidemic. After that crisis, the continent learned a great deal and invested heavily in surveillance, laboratories, rapid response teams, and response mechanisms at both the ministerial and regional levels. We should remember that the Africa CDC, under the African Union, was established specifically in the wake of that epidemic.<\/p>\n

EA:<\/strong> How do you assess the level of preparedness of African countries regarding potential regional spread?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. M.S.:<\/strong> African states are far better prepared than before. The Covid-19 pandemic also strengthened our surveillance systems. For instance, most national labs are now equipped for early detection and even genomic sequencing to characterize viruses. Early detection is fundamental\u2014it drives a rapid response and allows us to contain the disease before it spreads into the community.<\/p>\n

Community engagement has also come a long way. Most health ministries and response teams now work directly with communities, establishing local focal points who bridge the gap between the healthcare system and the population. This builds trust and encourages people to cooperate with control measures.<\/p>\n

EA: Is closing borders, particularly in Uganda, an effective measure?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. M.S.: <\/strong>It\u2019s a double-edged sword. These measures can certainly help contain the disease within a specific area. As we saw during the first epidemic in West Africa, in the border region between Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, people who traveled to attend funerals brought the disease back home with them.<\/p>\n

However, it is very difficult to restrict movement across these borders. In most border areas, there are unofficial crossings that the police don’t always monitor. Unregulated travel can actually be riskier than supervised travel. At present, there is no evidence of large-scale cross-border transmission.<\/p>\n

EA: On the medical front, how do you manage a Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak without a vaccine or an approved treatment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. M.S.: <\/strong>Without a vaccine, control relies heavily on surveillance, community engagement, infection prevention, and early diagnosis. Early diagnosis is vital: it allows us to quickly identify infected individuals, notify their families, and alert the surrounding community. Let’s not forget that for these families, not being able to bury their dead according to tradition is a massive ordeal. We have to build genuine trust between the health system and local communities so they accept the necessary measures.<\/p>\n

Most health ministries and response teams now work directly with communities, establishing local focal points who bridge the gap between the healthcare system and the population<\/p>\n

For context, the only licensed Ebola vaccine targets the Zaire species, against which it has proven highly effective. For Bundibugyo, the scientific challenge remains a major hurdle: how can we leverage what we already know to quickly develop, test, and approve a vaccine?<\/p>\n

EA: You also mentioned some unprecedented therapeutic leads. What are they?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. M.S.: <\/strong>Africa has massive potential when it comes to traditional remedies and medicine, which are still largely underutilized. I am currently attending a workshop in Kenya, backed by the African Union and Africa CDC, where the main focus is exactly that: how to accelerate the development of vaccines, diagnostic tools, and treatments for emerging and re-emerging viral diseases (including Ebola and Mpox) by leveraging African natural products.<\/p>\n

The goal is to bridge traditional knowledge and the scientific community\u2014testing these substances and producing solid evidence so that doctors, pharmacists, and researchers can integrate them into patient care. In fact, some countries are already doing this. In China, for example, traditional medicine is fully integrated into hospital protocols alongside conventional treatments. That is the direction we want to head in.<\/p>\n

A scientific paper on this work is currently being prepared for Nature Medicine. But as we say among researchers: scientists are pretty much the only ones who read these publications. To reach the general public, we need other channels of communication.<\/p>\n

EA: Africa is regularly criticized for its dependence on foreign funding when managing health crises. How do we break this cycle?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. M.S.: <\/strong>This is a structural issue. Over 80% to 90% of research funding in Africa comes from abroad, and our scientific agendas reflect that: we tend to fund what Western donors want to fund, not necessarily what we need most. The African Union recommends that member states allocate at least 1% of their GDP to research. To date, only Egypt and South Africa come close to meeting that target.<\/p>\n

When Covid-19 hit, everyone predicted a catastrophe for the continent. Instead, Africa proved to be much more resilient than expected. We watched a response system evolve, and it is now fully mature in several countries<\/p>\n

Regarding the current outbreak, an initial pledge of around\u00a0$400 to\u00a0$500 million was announced. But after walkbacks, we are looking at around\u00a0$200 million, and even that has not been fully secured yet. It takes constant advocacy and political pressure to change this.<\/p>\n

EA:<\/strong> Africa is often portrayed as a continent vulnerable to epidemics. Is it time to change that narrative?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. M.S.:<\/strong> Absolutely. Remember, when Covid-19 hit, everyone predicted a catastrophe for the continent. Instead, Africa proved to be much more resilient than expected. We watched a response system evolve, and it is now fully mature in several countries. In many ways, Africa now has a thing or two to teach the rest of the world. Our experience and progress mean that other countries and continents have a lot to learn from us.<\/p>\n

EA:<\/strong> Any closing thoughts?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. M.S.:<\/strong> The current outbreak is a major health crisis, but it’s also a strategic wake-up call for Africa. We must continue investing in surveillance and preparedness, while aggressively expanding our research, innovation, and pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities\u2014including leveraging our own traditional medicine. Health security is now intrinsically linked to scientific independence and the continent’s economic development. That is the message we are championing.<\/p>\n

Dr. Moussa Sarr is a physician and epidemiologist who heads the Cooperation and Business Development Department at IRESSEF (the Institute for Health Research, Epidemiological Surveillance, and Training) in Senegal. As a consultant to the Africa CDC (the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention), he is actively involved in African Union initiatives on epidemic preparedness and the promotion of traditional African medicine.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Interview by Ayi Renaud Dossavi<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As the Bundibugyo Ebola strain spreads through the DRC and Uganda, Africa CDC consultant Dr. Moussa Sarr urges…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":534388,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[78],"tags":[4204,4209,225956,61988,47128,18,135,19,17,636,55054],"class_list":["post-534387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-africa","tag-african","tag-bundibugyo","tag-continent","tag-ebola","tag-eire","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-response","tag-scientific"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116747061620258999","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=534387"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534387\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/534388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=534387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=534387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=534387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}