Is Africa prepared for tackling the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic. Lessons from past outbreaks, ongoing pan-African public health efforts, and implications for the future

• Nathan Kapata,
• Chikwe Ihekweazu,
• Francine Ntoumi,
• Tajudeen Raji,
• Pascalina Chanda-Kapata,
• Peter Mwaba,
• Victor Mukonka,
• Matthew Bates,
• John Tembo,
• Victor Corman,
• Sayoki Mfinanga,
• Danny Asogun,
• Linzy Elton,
• Liã Bárbara Arruda,
• Margaret J. Thomason,
• Leonard Mboera,
• Alexei Yavlinsky,
• Najmul Haider,
• David Simons,
• Lara Hollmann,
• Swaib A. Lule,
• Francisco Veas,
• Muzamil Mahdi Abdel Hamid,
• Osman Dar,
• Sarah Edwards,
• Francesco Vairo,
• Timothy D. McHugh,
• Christian Drosten,
• Richard Kock,
• Giuseppe Ippolito,
• Alimuddin Zumla

Affiliations

Nathan Kapata

Corresponding author.; Zambia National Public Health Institute, Minsitry of Health, Lusaka, Zambia

Chikwe Ihekweazu

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Jabi, Abuja, Nigeria

Francine Ntoumi

University Marien NGouabi, Brazzaville, Congo; Institute for Tropical Medicine/University of Tübingen, Germany

Tajudeen Raji

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Pascalina Chanda-Kapata

Ministry of Health, Lusaka, Zambia

Peter Mwaba

Lusaka Apex Medical University, Lusaka, Zambia

Victor Mukonka

National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka, Zambia

Matthew Bates

School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom

John Tembo

HerpeZ and UNZA-UCLMS Project, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia

Victor Corman

Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Virology, Berlin, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Berlin, Germany

Sayoki Mfinanga

National Institute of Medical Research, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Danny Asogun

Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria

Linzy Elton

Center for Clinical Microbiology, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Royal Free Hospital Campus, London, United Kingdom

Liã Bárbara Arruda

Center for Clinical Microbiology, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Royal Free Hospital Campus, London, United Kingdom

Margaret J. Thomason

Center for Clinical Microbiology, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Royal Free Hospital Campus, London, United Kingdom

Leonard Mboera

SACIDS Foundation for One Health, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania

Alexei Yavlinsky

Institute of Health Informatics, Faculty of Pop Health Sciences, UCL, London, United Kingdom

Najmul Haider

The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

David Simons

The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

Lara Hollmann

Chatham House Centre on Global Health Security, Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, United Kingdom

Swaib A. Lule

Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom

Francisco Veas

Faculty of Pharmacy, Montpellier University, IRD UMR5569, Montpellier, France

Muzamil Mahdi Abdel Hamid

Dept of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Sudan

Osman Dar

Chatham House Centre on Global Health Security, Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, United Kingdom

Sarah Edwards

Ethics and Governance, University College London, London, United Kingdom

Francesco Vairo

National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani – IRCCS, Rome, Italy

Timothy D. McHugh

Center for Clinical Microbiology, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Royal Free Hospital Campus, London, United Kingdom

Christian Drosten

Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Virology, Berlin, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Berlin, Germany

Richard Kock

The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

Giuseppe Ippolito

National Institute for Infectious Diseases – Lazzaro Spallanzani – IRCCS, Rome, Italy

Alimuddin Zumla

Center for Clinical Microbiology, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Royal Free Hospital Campus, London, United Kingdom; Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom