The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) declared the official end of Tanzania’s outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus that emerged earlier this year. Marburg, an Ebola-like virus which boasts a historical fatality rate of over 85%, was first discovered in the nation’s northwest Kagera region in March. Since then, nine cases have been reported, and six of those people have died. There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments available as of yet for Marburg, but Tanzania was able to successfully contain the disease with the help of prompt intervention by local W.H.O. offices. The last confirmed patient in Tanzania tested negative for the virus in mid-April, and after the mandatory 42-day countdown following this result, the outbreak was officially declared over.
Local communities faithfully followed W.H.O. guidelines before the outbreak was declared over, Tanzania’s chief medical officer said, which was likely the primary reason why Marburg could be contained within only a few months. As well, teams of first responders in West Africa had previously been trained in outbreak preparedness, response, and containment in 2022 and through 2023. These responders, alongside experts the W.H.O. deployed to support surveillance, testing, contact tracing, and treatment, were instrumental in putting the nearly three tons of personal protective equipment supplied to the country to use. As a result, Tanzania was impressively successful at containing and eliminating the Marburg virus.
The only other Marburg outbreak of 2023, reported in Equatorial Guinea, was likewise declared over earlier this week according to W.H.O. Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “With the investments being made to prepare for and tackle health emergencies in the region, we are responding even faster and more effectively to save lives, livelihoods, and safeguard health,” said Matshidiso Moeti, regional director of the W.H.O. for Africa.
The international fight against COVID-19 has fortified global health infrastructure, especially in lower-income regions, which will likely only become more and more necessary. Zoonotic diseases, which is to say diseases spread between animals and humans such as Marburg, Ebola, and COVID-19, are expected to become more common as the climate continues to change. Ecological disruptions such as deforestation, meteorological shifts, and pollution have led to overall increased contact between humans and animals, facilitating the transmission of this type of virus.
The success in West Africa is a sign that global health infrastructure, even in the lower-income regions at highest risk for viral outbreaks, has been improving; however, this advancement must continue if the threat posed by viral disease is to be contained in less developed nations in the decades to come. Fortifying health infrastructure on a global scale could require a variety of measures, including establishing virus surveillance systems, healthcare worker training programs, early testing and diagnostic mechanisms, treatment facilities, contact tracing strategies, and vaccination campaigns to contain outbreaks promptly. It is also crucial to collaborate with other countries in order to create an effective global health network. International co-operation plays a vital role, not only in sharing research findings, expertise, and resources, but also in co-ordinating response efforts, supplying financial aid, and effectively deploying medical personnel.
Tanzania’s success in containing the Marburg virus is not only impressive, but also bodes well for the future virus containment efforts that will inevitably become more and more critical as climate change multiplies the threat levels of viral diseases. International collaboration between governments, N.G.O.s, healthcare professionals, and researchers on a wide range of global health programming initiatives is integral to buttress existing domestic health measures and ensure that all nations are prepared to handle rising levels of disease.
