Harnessing wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) in Africa: a historic turning point towards strengthening the pandemic control
Abstract Curbing infectious diseases has been a significant challenge worldwide, with existing conventional surveillance systems presenting gaps in providing timely and spatial information, which undermines prevention and control. This has propelled the use of Wastewater-Based surveillance (WBS), a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Discover Water |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s43832-024-00066-0 |
| _version_ | 1797273345624899584 |
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| author | Emery Manirambona Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno Deborah Oluwaseun Shomuyiwa Salomey Asaah Denkyira Olalekan John Okesanya Usman Abubakar Haruna Hazem Mohamed Salamah Shuaibu Saidu Musa Menelas Nkeshimana Aniekan Michael Ekpenyong |
| author_facet | Emery Manirambona Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno Deborah Oluwaseun Shomuyiwa Salomey Asaah Denkyira Olalekan John Okesanya Usman Abubakar Haruna Hazem Mohamed Salamah Shuaibu Saidu Musa Menelas Nkeshimana Aniekan Michael Ekpenyong |
| author_sort | Emery Manirambona |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Curbing infectious diseases has been a significant challenge worldwide, with existing conventional surveillance systems presenting gaps in providing timely and spatial information, which undermines prevention and control. This has propelled the use of Wastewater-Based surveillance (WBS), a valuable tool for infectious disease surveillance able to detect early infectious diseases among asymptomatic, pre-symptomatic, symptomatic, and post-symptomatic individuals. Despite the global attention and the contribution of WBS in monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic, its use in the African continent is still stunted, which may hamper the early detection, monitoring, prevention, and response to outbreaks. Africa can benefit from WBS, deemed to be quick, cost-effective, providing timely data to ensure early report of the presence of a high-consequence infectious pathogen and devise timely protective measures at a population-level perspective. In addition, considering its inclusivity in providing an overall burden of infectious agents representing the population even in areas with limited resources, wastewater surveillance is important in tackling health disparities. Therefore, it is crucial to overcome challenges related to implementing surveillance in Africa. This can be achieved by providing adequate investments for surveillance efforts, establishing modern infrastructure to enhance wastewater drainage, enhancing the healthcare workforce through training, improving healthcare infrastructure and equipment, and utilising digital health solutions. Collaborative efforts on both local and global scales are crucial for developing effective health policies, and a robust research capacity within the continent is crucial. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:42:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b71af36707f840bda363bf3f0ece0d7f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2730-647X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:42:01Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Discover Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-b71af36707f840bda363bf3f0ece0d7f2024-03-05T20:12:53ZengSpringerDiscover Water2730-647X2024-03-014111010.1007/s43832-024-00066-0Harnessing wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) in Africa: a historic turning point towards strengthening the pandemic controlEmery Manirambona0Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno1Deborah Oluwaseun Shomuyiwa2Salomey Asaah Denkyira3Olalekan John Okesanya4Usman Abubakar Haruna5Hazem Mohamed Salamah6Shuaibu Saidu Musa7Menelas Nkeshimana8Aniekan Michael Ekpenyong9College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of RwandaDepartment of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineFaculty of Pharmacy, University of LagosFaculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Medical Laboratory Science, Neuropsychiatric Hospital, AroDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Nazarbayev University School of Medicine (NUSOM)Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig UniversityDepartment of Nursing Science, Ahmadu Bello UniversityDepartment of Internal Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali and University of RwandaGlobal Health FocusAbstract Curbing infectious diseases has been a significant challenge worldwide, with existing conventional surveillance systems presenting gaps in providing timely and spatial information, which undermines prevention and control. This has propelled the use of Wastewater-Based surveillance (WBS), a valuable tool for infectious disease surveillance able to detect early infectious diseases among asymptomatic, pre-symptomatic, symptomatic, and post-symptomatic individuals. Despite the global attention and the contribution of WBS in monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic, its use in the African continent is still stunted, which may hamper the early detection, monitoring, prevention, and response to outbreaks. Africa can benefit from WBS, deemed to be quick, cost-effective, providing timely data to ensure early report of the presence of a high-consequence infectious pathogen and devise timely protective measures at a population-level perspective. In addition, considering its inclusivity in providing an overall burden of infectious agents representing the population even in areas with limited resources, wastewater surveillance is important in tackling health disparities. Therefore, it is crucial to overcome challenges related to implementing surveillance in Africa. This can be achieved by providing adequate investments for surveillance efforts, establishing modern infrastructure to enhance wastewater drainage, enhancing the healthcare workforce through training, improving healthcare infrastructure and equipment, and utilising digital health solutions. Collaborative efforts on both local and global scales are crucial for developing effective health policies, and a robust research capacity within the continent is crucial.https://doi.org/10.1007/s43832-024-00066-0AfricaEnvironmental surveillanceEpidemiological monitoringInfectious diseases monitoringWastewaterWastewater-based epidemiology |
| spellingShingle | Emery Manirambona Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno Deborah Oluwaseun Shomuyiwa Salomey Asaah Denkyira Olalekan John Okesanya Usman Abubakar Haruna Hazem Mohamed Salamah Shuaibu Saidu Musa Menelas Nkeshimana Aniekan Michael Ekpenyong Harnessing wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) in Africa: a historic turning point towards strengthening the pandemic control Discover Water Africa Environmental surveillance Epidemiological monitoring Infectious diseases monitoring Wastewater Wastewater-based epidemiology |
| title | Harnessing wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) in Africa: a historic turning point towards strengthening the pandemic control |
| title_full | Harnessing wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) in Africa: a historic turning point towards strengthening the pandemic control |
| title_fullStr | Harnessing wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) in Africa: a historic turning point towards strengthening the pandemic control |
| title_full_unstemmed | Harnessing wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) in Africa: a historic turning point towards strengthening the pandemic control |
| title_short | Harnessing wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) in Africa: a historic turning point towards strengthening the pandemic control |
| title_sort | harnessing wastewater based surveillance wbs in africa a historic turning point towards strengthening the pandemic control |
| topic | Africa Environmental surveillance Epidemiological monitoring Infectious diseases monitoring Wastewater Wastewater-based epidemiology |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s43832-024-00066-0 |
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