Oluwatobi Adu 
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – The Bundibugyo virus outbreak has prompted the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and its partners to call for stronger biosecurity measures, warning that the outbreak exposes broader regional health security risks beyond disease control.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Africa CDC and the Signature Initiative to Mitigate Biological Threats in Africa (SIMBA) say biological security must become an integral part of the response to the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), African institutions, international organisations and development partners, with support aligned to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.
The statement says SIMBA provides a framework for integrating biosecurity into emergency public health responses through technical support, partnerships and capacity building.
“Building on the progress already achieved, SIMBA can play a central role in connecting immediate outbreak response efforts with longer-term investments in biosecurity, biosurveillance, non-proliferation, and enforcement capacities across Africa,” the partners say.
About the Author
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Korede Abdullah 