Ebola outbreak shows lack of global real-time biosurveillance system

The Ebola outbreak in Africa has reinforced the fact that there is no globally linked, interoperable system to prevent infectious disease threats, detect outbreaks in real-time, and to respond effectively before they become epidemics. “Despite improved technologies and knowledge, concerning gaps remain in many countries in the workforce, tools, training, surveillance capabilities, and coordination that are crucial to protect against the spread of infectious disease, whether naturally occurring, deliberate, or accidental,” testified Tom Frieden, M.D., director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during an August 7 emergency hearing held by the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations. To address this shortfall, the United States in February–months before the latest Ebola outbreak–joined with the World Health Organization and 26 countries to launch a Global Health Security Agenda to prevent, detect and effectively respond to infectious disease threats worldwide. One of the primary goals...