A joint study by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST) has reaffirmed the critical role international health teams play in bolstering outbreak response across African Union (AU) Member States – but warns that continued reliance on such external support is unsustainable.
The study, released to journalists over the weekend, provides an in-depth review of international deployments during major health emergencies across Africa from 2020 to 2023. It highlights how international teams significantly boosted short-term capacity in key public health areas such as surveillance, epidemiology, laboratory systems, infection prevention and control, and risk communication.
Nearly half of the deployments supported multiple response domains at once, reflecting the flexibility and wide-reaching value of international collaboration in crisis settings. However, the report also stresses the urgent need for tailored, locally led strategies to build long-term preparedness.
Programme lead for Africa CDC’s African Volunteers Health Corps (AVoHC), Dr. Radjabu Bigirimana noted that while international deployments have brought much-needed expertise and rapid support, questions of sustainability persist.
“These teams have delivered vital resources and rapid response capacity at crucial moments,” Bigirimana said. “But it is clear we must now prioritise strengthening national preparedness systems.”
The report notes that international teams did more than respond to emergencies. They also helped countries develop response protocols, set up coordination structures, train personnel and supply critical equipment. Still, the authors caution against over-dependence on external actors.
Director of UK-PHRST, Dr. Edmund Newman called for a paradigm shift. “This study reinforces the need for global health partnerships to evolve. International deployments must be deliberate investments that strengthen national systems and support long-term, locally owned goals,” he said.
The findings have already informed the development of a roadmap aimed at building sustainable outbreak preparedness in AU Member States.
Assistant professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and evaluation lead for UK-PHRST, Dr. Femi Nzegwu underscored the importance of evidence-based, context-specific approaches going forward.
“The findings reflect experiences across Africa but also point to what must change if responses are to be more effective, equitable, and empowering,” Nzegwu said.
Science Nigeria reports that the study is expected to serve as a reference for reducing long-term dependency on external support while advancing more resilient, self-reliant health systems across the continent.
