Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria — Half of all approved diagnostic tests for six priority epidemic-prone diseases in Africa cannot be used in most primary healthcare facilities, exposing critical weaknesses in the continent’s ability to detect and respond to disease outbreaks, according to a new report.
The report, Diagnostics Deficit: Funding, Access, and Preparedness Gaps in African Health Systems, was released by PATH and Impact Global Health ahead of the African Union Extraordinary Health Summit in Accra, Ghana.
It found that 50 per cent of approved diagnostics for mpox, Ebola, malaria, dengue, cholera and bacterial meningitis require laboratory infrastructure unavailable in many frontline health facilities across Africa.
For Ebola alone, the report showed that 88 per cent of approved diagnostic tests depend on sophisticated laboratory facilities, limiting their use during public health emergencies.
The findings come months after the 2026 Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak, when health authorities failed to immediately detect the virus because existing diagnostic tools were designed for the Zaire Ebola strain.
The mismatch delayed confirmation of the outbreak by 10 days, highlighting weaknesses in Africa’s diagnostic preparedness.
Researchers identified 577 approved diagnostic products across the six diseases, with an additional 59 products still under development.
However, innovation remains uneven, with mpox and dengue accounting for 84 per cent of all approved and pipeline diagnostic products, while cholera and bacterial meningitis have only seven products each despite being major public health threats.
The report also warned that investment in diagnostic research and development has steadily declined over the past decade.
Using G-FINDER data, researchers found annual funding dropped from nearly $55 million in 2015 to less than $26 million in 2024, representing a decline of almost $4 million annually.
Director of Research at Impact Global Health, Sabastine Wakdok, warned that Africa remains trapped in a cycle of emergency-driven investment.
About the Author
Otamere Gladness 
Korede Abdullah