Renowned virologist, Prof. Oyewale Tomori and other public health experts have called for urgent reforms to combat Africa’s health challenges.
They restated the need for local ownership, a robust surveillance system, and innovative prevention strategies to address the challenges.
The experts spoke at this year’s edition of African Virology Conference in Abuja, with the theme: Trends in Emerging and Re-Emerging Viruses, yesterday in Abuja.
Prof. Tomori urged African nations to stop dependency on foreign aid and embrace homegrown solutions.
“Africa is not resource-limited but resource-wasteful and corruption-constrained,” he said, calling for transparency and efficiency in the management of public health.
The renowned virologist argued that reliance on external aid undermines self-reliance, stressing that addressing internal inefficiencies is critical.
“If we continue to see ourselves as handicapped, we will keep begging. We must stop undressing our issues and start addressing them head-on,” he said.
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Reflecting on global inequities, Tomori recalled that double standards were prevalent in vaccine distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If we had discovered the vaccine, would we have shared it while others were dying?” he queried.
Tomori stressed the essence of talent retention in the health sector, saying many professionals leave Africa due to unfavourable conditions abroad out of having no other choice.
The renowned virologist said India’s success in medicine should be a model for Africa, saying the Asian country had transformed into a global vaccine producer through capacity building and fostering innovation.
The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Country Representative for Nigeria, Walter Molumbo, called for enhanced disease surveillance to tackle emerging viral threats exacerbated by climate change and globalisation.
He lauded Nigeria’s eradication of wild polio but called for sustained efforts against other diseases, like Monkeypox (MPox) and Yellow Fever.
Also, the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr. Jide Idris, acknowledged the complexity of managing viruses driven by environmental and societal factors.
He said there was a need for early detection, vaccine development, and international collaboration.
Prof. George Boateng Kyei of Ghana faulted West Africa’s dependence on external funding for HIV education, warning of dire consequences, if such aid ceased.
“We fail to allocate resources effectively for critical needs like education,” he said.
Kyei urged governments to prioritise health investments.
The interim Chairman of the African Virology Network (AVN), Prof. Theophilus Adiku, urged governments and the private sector to strengthen African virology through mentorship and research collaborations.
“This conference aims to inspire groundbreaking solutions and empower young researchers for a stronger virology future,” he said.
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Prof. Maryam Aminu, said the three-day conference was meant to foster global partnerships and empower African scientists to lead in virology.
She said: “This is not just about knowledge sharing but about building Africa’s leadership on the global stage.”
