As Uganda joins other African countries to mark ten years since the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus disease in West Africa, public health leaders are calling for access to medical aid needed in the management of the disease.

This should be done through the expansion and scale-up of manufacturing of medical aids and tools within Africa like diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccines, and other health products among others.

The health leaders are calling for the strengthening capacities of public health workers and those in the community, increasing domestic financing towards self-sustenance and reduction of donor dependence among others.

The recommendations are part of a report, authored by medical workers titled “The West Africa Ebola virus disease outbreak: 10 years on” published by the Lancet Global Health.

The report, with recommendations from West African countries such as Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria co-authored by Uganda’s health ministry, led by Dr Henry Kyobe Bosa, the incident commander epidemics, under the supervision of health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng.

Other recommendations include fostering respectful partnerships between nations, research institutions, manufacturing, donors, and recipient communities; expediting the review of International Health Regulations to ensure equity across countries in access to tools, technology, data, and information, and essential biological materials for effective pandemic preparedness, response, and resilience among others.

The team is also calling for the inclusion of risk transfer tools and instruments such as reserve funds, contingent credit facilities, catastrophe bonds, insurance, and operationalisation of the Africa Epidemics Fund to support preparedness and response efforts to combat public health threats, among others.

Ebola was first reported in West Africa beginning in Guinea and spreading to Sierra Leone, Liberia and small incursions in Mali, Senegal and Nigeria. The last three were able to stop further transmission, the other three countries suffered more effects.

According to Dr Kyobe, over 11,000 deaths were reported and 20,000 cases of Ebola of which 518 health workers died as a result of the outbreak.

“The disease had enormous social economic impacts; we have to remember that what we experienced then should never happen again. Through these recommendations we want to ensure that we live in a secure world,” Kyobe added.