When Ebola cases are reported in
parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo or neighbouring countries like Uganda, and concerns rise across borders into South Sudan, fear spreads quickly.
Communities worry about transmission.
Health workers prepare for emergencies.
Governments activate response systems. But one question becomes urgent from the
very beginning: how fast can we detect the disease?
The answer depends on
diagnostics.
Without testing, outbreaks move
silently. Patients are treated based on suspicion rather than confirmation.
Healthcare workers are placed at risk. Communities lose trust. Valuable days
are lost while diseases spread across villages, towns, and borders.
Africa has learned this lesson
many times through Ebola, COVID-19, mpox, cholera, Marburg, and other
infectious disease threats.
Yet these outbreaks continue to expose a major
weakness across many countries: diagnostic systems often remain fragmented,
underfunded, and disconnected from broader health security systems.
This is why the conversation on
“Integrated Diagnostics for Health Security and One Health Preparedness” at the
upcoming ASLM 2026 Conference could not be more timely.
Africa does not face health
threats in isolation. Human health, animal health, and environmental health are
deeply connected.
Diseases such as Ebola, anthrax, Rift Valley fever, a where these systems
interact. A virus moving through wildlife can eventually threaten entire
populations
Unsafe farming practices, climate change, deforestation, rapid
urbanization, and increased movement of people and animals are all increasing
the risk of outbreaks across the continent.
This is why a One Health approach
matters.
One Health recognises that
protecting people also means monitoring animal health, environmental risks,
food systems, and cross-border disease movement. But One Health preparedness
cannot work without integrated diagnostics.
Today, many African countries
still operate separate laboratory systems for human health, veterinary health,
outbreak response, tuberculosis, HIV, malaria, and antimicrobial resistance
surveillance.
Different ministries may collect different data using different
platforms that cannot communicate with one another.
Samples may move slowly
between facilities. Some laboratories remain concentrated in urban centers
while rural communities struggle to access even basic testing services.
The result is delayed detection
and slower response during emergencies.
In some rural areas, a patient
suspected of Ebola or another dangerous disease may wait days before samples
reach a reference laboratory. During that time, exposure continues. In
livestock communities, diseases affecting animals may go unreported because
veterinary diagnostic systems are weak or poorly connected to public health
surveillance. This weak coordination creates blind spots that place entire
countries at risk.
At the same time, Africa faces a
growing crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Across hospitals and
communities, antibiotics are often used without proper laboratory confirmation
because diagnostic services are unavailable or unaffordable.
Patients receive
treatment based on symptoms instead of evidence. Over time, infections become
harder to treat, medicines become less effective, and healthcare costs rise.
AMR is already becoming a silent
pandemic.
Integrated diagnostics can help
address this challenge by strengthening testing capacity across human and
animal health systems, improving surveillance, and supporting responsible use
of medicines.
But integration is not only about
machines and technology. It is also about people and systems working together.
Africa continues to face serious
shortages of trained laboratory professionals, epidemiologists, biosafety
specialists, and veterinary diagnosticians.
Many health workers operate under
immense pressure with limited reweak internet connectivity, shortages of reagents, and
inadequate biosafety infrastructure
Preparedness cannot exist without
investment in the workforce.
Governments and partners must
prioritize training, retention, and protection of laboratory professionals
across both human and animal health sectors. Strong diagnostic systems require
skilled people who can detect threats quickly and safely.
The good news is that Africa has
already shown what is possible.
During COVID-19, countries
rapidly expanded molecular testing capacity and strengthened regional
collaboration.
Institutions such as the African Society for Laboratory Medicine and
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention helped support laboratory strengthening,
quality systems, workforce development, and outbreak preparedness across the
continent.
Now the next step is
sustainability and integration.
Africa needs connected diagnostic
networks that bring together human health, animal health, environmental
surveillance, and emergency response systems.
Data must move quickly across
sectors. Laboratories must support both routine healthcare and outbreak
preparedness. Diagnostic services must also become more accessible to ordinary
people, especially those living in remote and underserved communities.
Health security begins long
before an outbreak becomes international news.
It begins in local clinics,
veterinary posts, border points, district laboratories, and community
surveillance systems. It begins with the ability to detect threats early and
respond together.
One outbreak should not require
separate systems and disconnected responses.
Africa’s future preparedness
depends on building integrated diagnostics that protect people, animals,
economies, and communities together.
Dr. Ndasi is Portfolio Lead,
Africa Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM)
