In Lomé, Togo, laboratory scientists from across West Africa gathered this week to deliver a warning that transcends any single outbreak: the region's capacity to detect disease before it spreads is quietly deteriorating, and the cost of inaction is measured in lives. Drawing on the memory of the 2014–2016 Ebola crisis, which claimed at least 11,000 lives, and the ongoing Congo outbreak now spreading faster than any Ebola event on record, these scientists are asking governments to do something historically difficult — to invest in preparation during the silence before catastrophe. The lesson,
West African scientists warn of weakening health systems amid outbreak risks
Past Ebola outbreak (2014-2016) killed at least 11,000 people; current Congo Ebola outbreak has killed over 3,600 with tolls likely three times higher.
We shouldn't wait for an epidemic to emerge before responding.
Mark
So these scientists are saying West African health systems are getting worse, not better, even after Ebola and COVID?
Mimi
That's exactly it. They've watched the infrastructure deteriorate during the calm periods. When there's no active outbreak, governments stop funding the detection networks and diagnostic labs.
Luke
But we should be careful here—the source doesn't say systems are worse than they were in 2014. It says they're weaker than they need to be now. That's a different claim.
Mimi
Fair point. The scientists are saying that without constant investment, the systems atrophy. It's not necessarily a comparison to a baseline.
Mark
What about the current Congo outbreak? Is that what's prompting this warning?
Mimi
It's part of it. The Congo Ebola outbreak is spreading faster than any on record, and the virus went undetected for weeks. That's exactly the kind of failure these scientists are warning about.
Luke
Though we should note—the Africa CDC estimates the true toll is three times higher than official figures. That's an estimate, not a confirmed count. We don't actually know the real numbers.
Mark
So the scientists are saying: invest now, before the next one hits?
Mimi
Exactly. They want governments to fund diagnostic capacity and disease detection during the quiet times, so when something emerges, they can catch it fast.
Luke
And they're asking for regional cooperation, not just individual countries acting alone.
Mark
Because a virus doesn't respect borders.
Mimi
Right. One country's outbreak becomes everyone's problem within days.
The Pulse
- The Congo Ebola outbreak is the fastest-spreading on record, with over 7,500 cases and 3,600 confirmed deaths — and the true toll is estimated to be three times higher, because the virus circulated undetected for weeks before officials even acknowledged it.
- West African health systems have been quietly hollowing out between crises, with diagnostic infrastructure underfunded and detection networks weakened precisely because no visible emergency was demanding attention.
- Scientists in Lomé are sounding the alarm not from panic but from pattern recognition — they have watched the region fail twice, and they see the same conditions forming again.
- Their call is specific: sustained investment in laboratory capacity, trained personnel, and regional cooperation — the unglamorous, continuous work that makes early detection possible.
- The window to act, they warn, is open now — but it will not stay open, and by the time the next outbreak announces itself, the moment to prepare will already have passed.
In Lomé, Togo, laboratory scientists from across West Africa gathered this week to deliver a warning that transcends any single outbreak: the region's capacity to detect disease before it spreads is quietly deteriorating, and the cost of inaction is measured in lives. Drawing on the memory of the 2014–2016 Ebola crisis, which claimed at least 11,000 lives, and the ongoing Congo outbreak now spreading faster than any Ebola event on record, these scientists are asking governments to do something historically difficult — to invest in preparation during the silence before catastrophe. The lesson, learned twice in a decade, is that the architecture of public health must be built in peacetime, not assembled in the middle of a storm.
In Lomé, Togo, this week, laboratory scientists from across West Africa delivered a message their governments have heard before but have struggled to act on: the region's ability to detect disease outbreaks is eroding, and the time to reverse that is now — not after the next crisis arrives.
The scientists pointed to two catastrophes as evidence. The 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic killed at least 11,000 people across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The current Ebola outbreak in Congo has become the fastest-spreading version of the virus ever recorded, with cases exceeding 7,500 and deaths surpassing 3,600 — figures the Africa CDC believes are likely three times understated. The virus spread undetected for weeks before authorities made any announcement.
Kossi Kabo, head of Togo's Association of Medical Biologists and a congress co-chair, put the challenge plainly: the region must learn to anticipate outbreaks rather than react to them. By the time a government responds to an emerging epidemic, he argued, it is already too late. The scientists are not speaking in abstractions — they have watched diagnostic infrastructure go underfunded and detection networks weaken during the quiet stretches between emergencies, when political urgency fades and budget lines become negotiable.
Other recent threats have reinforced the warning. A rare pathogen, Bundibugyo virus, has caused thousands of deaths in Congo, and Hantavirus was detected aboard a cruise ship docking off Cape Verde — reminders that the region remains a landscape where dangerous pathogens can emerge and move quickly.
The scientists' ask is both practical and political: sustained investment in laboratory capacity and trained personnel, paired with genuine regional cooperation, built during the periods when no one is watching. Arthur Bodurie Calvin Garber of Sierra Leone's Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists stressed that equipment alone is insufficient — without skilled people to operate it, even the best infrastructure sits idle.
The region has learned this lesson twice in a decade. Whether governments will act on it before the next outbreak forces their hand remains the open and urgent question.
In Togo's capital this week, laboratory scientists from across West Africa delivered a stark message to their governments: the region's ability to catch disease outbreaks is eroding, and the window to fix it is closing.
The warning came during a gathering of medical professionals in Lome, where the conversation centered on a question that has haunted the region for over a decade: Are we ready for the next one? The scientists pointed to two recent catastrophes as proof that readiness cannot be taken for granted. Between 2014 and 2016, Ebola killed at least 11,000 people across the region, with Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone bearing the heaviest toll. More recently, a fresh Ebola outbreak in Congo has become the fastest-spreading version of the virus on record, with cases now exceeding 7,500 and deaths surpassing 3,600—though the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the true numbers are likely three times higher. The virus circulated undetected for weeks before authorities even announced it.
Kossi Kabo, head of Togo's Association of Medical Biologists and a co-chair of the congress, framed the challenge plainly: anticipation, not reaction. "We need to anticipate these outbreaks," he said. "We shouldn't wait for an epidemic to emerge somewhere before responding. By then, it would be too late." The scientists are not speaking in abstractions. They have watched health systems across the region atrophy during periods of relative calm, leaving diagnostic infrastructure underfunded and detection networks weakened. Without a visible crisis demanding attention, governments have allowed investment to lag.
The region has also faced other recent threats that underscore the vulnerability. Bundibugyo virus, a rare pathogen, has killed over 3,600 people among nearly 7,500 cases in Congo since mid-May. In May as well, Hantavirus was detected aboard a cruise ship that docked off Cape Verde in the Atlantic. These incidents, while not reaching the scale of the 2014-2016 Ebola crisis, signal that the region remains a landscape where dangerous pathogens can emerge and spread.
The scientists' call is for governments to act now, during the quiet periods between outbreaks. They are asking for sustained investment in diagnostic capacity and disease detection infrastructure—the unglamorous, ongoing work of building systems that can spot trouble before it spreads. They are also asking for regional cooperation, recognizing that a virus that emerges in one country can reach others within days. Arthur Bodurie Calvin Garber, president of the Sierra Leone Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, emphasized that investment must flow not just to equipment and facilities but to the people who staff them. Without trained personnel, even the best infrastructure sits idle.
The scientists gathered in Lome understand something that governments often forget: the time to prepare for a crisis is not when the crisis arrives. It is in the months and years before, when the urgency feels abstract and the budget lines seem negotiable. The region has learned this lesson twice in a decade. Whether that knowledge translates into action remains to be seen.
Notable Quotes
We need to anticipate these outbreaks. We shouldn't wait for an epidemic to emerge somewhere before responding. By then, it would be too late.— Kossi Kabo, head of the Association of Medical Biologists of Togo
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