Prof. Oyewale Tomori, a renowned virologist, has urged African governments to invest consistently in pandemic preparedness to avert the enormous human and economic losses associated with major disease outbreaks.

Tomori made the call in a telephone interview with the news reporters on Saturday, stressing the need for stronger disease surveillance, laboratory capacity, healthcare systems and local vaccine manufacturing.

He said pandemic preparedness should be treated as a continuous investment rather than an emergency measure activated only after an outbreak had begun.

The virologist’s call comes amid the ongoing outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease, a form of Ebola disease, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with imported cases reported in Nigeria and Kenya.

“The World Health Organisation (WHO), in its Oct. 23 update, reported 9,704 confirmed cases and 4,687 deaths in the DRC as of Oct. 20, representing a crude case-fatality ratio of 48.3 per cent.

“WHO also reported that Nigeria confirmed an imported case in the Federal Capital Territory on Oct. 20, while Kenya had recorded nine cases, including one death, as of the latest reporting period.

“The developments have renewed attention to the importance of early detection, cross-border surveillance and coordinated responses to infectious disease threats,” he said.

He identified disease surveillance, emergency planning, adequate medical supplies, research and development, community engagement and international cooperation as essential components of effective pandemic preparedness.

He said countries needed systems capable of detecting unusual illness patterns, identifying emerging pathogens and rapidly communicating alerts to public health authorities.

According to him, strengthening laboratories and training healthcare workers would improve countries’ ability to recognise infections early, confirm diagnoses and initiate appropriate response measures.

He also stressed the importance of maintaining adequate supplies of personal protective equipment and other essential medical materials to protect health workers and support the safe management of suspected and confirmed cases.

He said that the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how a public health emergency could disrupt economies far beyond the healthcare sector, affecting businesses, employment, education, travel and international trade.

“Beyond the immediate costs of testing, treatment and vaccination, governments had to provide emergency financial support, while businesses and workers experienced substantial losses from restrictions and disruptions to economic activity.

“The economic consequences strengthened calls for greater investment in preparedness, including stronger public health institutions, early-warning systems and the capacity to develop and deliver medical countermeasures.

“However, the estimated annual cost of preparedness should not be interpreted as a single fixed global requirement, because funding needs vary according to countries’ existing capacities and the interventions being financed,” he advised.

He called for stronger political leadership, technical capacity, strategic planning and sustainable financing to improve Africa’s preparedness for future pandemics.

He said governments needed to make better use of domestic resources and strengthen public health infrastructure instead of relying predominantly on emergency funding after outbreaks had escalated.

Disease surveillance, he noted, must extend beyond hospitals to communities and other settings where unusual illnesses could first emerge.

He also highlighted the importance of community participation, explaining that effective outbreak prevention and control depended on public understanding, trust and cooperation.

“Transparent communication was another essential element, as timely and accurate information could help reduce fear, counter misinformation and encourage people to follow public health guidance,” he said.

He further advocated greater investment in research and development to support the timely availability of vaccines, treatments and diagnostic tools against emerging infectious diseases.

He identified local vaccine production and regional procurement arrangements as important measures for reducing Africa’s dependence on external suppliers during global health emergencies.

“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the risks associated with relying heavily on other regions for essential medical products when international demand surged.

“Greater regional cooperation, he said, would enable African countries to pool expertise and resources, share relevant disease information and coordinate responses to outbreaks that crossed national borders,” he said.

He also raised concerns about international health partnerships, particularly the sharing of pathogen samples and genomic data, reciprocal benefits and the protection of African interests in scientific research.

He argued that African countries needed the technical and negotiating capacity to ensure that international cooperation delivered equitable benefits while supporting efforts to prevent and control infectious diseases.

“Pathogen and genomic data sharing can contribute to surveillance, research and the development of diagnostics and vaccines.

“However, the terms governing access, use and benefit-sharing remain important considerations for countries contributing samples and data,” he said.

He highlighted the need to balance international scientific cooperation with transparent agreements and fair access to the products developed from shared biological resources.

He maintained that no country could adequately address pandemic threats in isolation, making cooperation among governments, researchers, public health institutions and communities essential.

He explained the importance of treating preparedness as a long-term public health priority, supported by sustained financing, capable institutions and regional collaboration.

“For African countries, the challenge is to translate preparedness commitments into functional surveillance systems, equipped laboratories, trained health workers and reliable access to essential medical products before the next major outbreak occurs,” he said.

He called on African leaders to invest before emergencies occur, rather than bear the much greater human and economic consequences that can follow when outbreaks spread.

Newsmen report that a systematic review published in The Lancet Global Health examined the costs of improving health emergency preparedness across countries.

It found that estimates ranged from 1.6 billion dollars annually for improving preparedness capacities in 139 low- and middle-income countries to as much as 43 billion dollars annually for broader national and global preparedness activities, including research and development for diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.

The review noted that the estimates differed in scope and methodology, making direct comparisons difficult.

Newsmen report that the Bundibugyo virus Ebola outbreak remains a major public health concern in Africa, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) worst affected.

According to the latest available reports, the DRC has recorded 9,704 cases and 4,687 deaths, while Kenya has reported nine cases and one death linked to an imported case.

Nigeria has also confirmed one imported case in Abuja, with contact tracing and investigations ongoing.

Uganda remains part of the cross-border investigation, although no active cases were reported in the latest update cited.

Health authorities are strengthening surveillance, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and cross-border coordination to prevent further transmission.

Meanwhile, a Phase 2/3 vaccine trial targeting the Bundibugyo virus began enrolling participants in the DRC on October 23.

Public health experts said that the key concern is whether authorities can contain transmission in newly affected countries, particularly Nigeria and Kenya, while controlling the outbreak in the DRC.