01751nas a2200217   4500000000100000008004100001260001600042100001500058700001300073700001100086700001400097700001500111700001600126700001400142245010700156856015300263300001100416490000700427520108500434022001401519       2021                            d  bElsevier BV1 aAborode AT1 aHasan MM1 aJain S1 aOkereke M1 aAdedeji OJ1 aKarra-Aly A1 aFasawe AS00aImpact of poor disease surveillance system on COVID-19 response in africa: Time to rethink and rebuilt  uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213398421001494/pdfft?md5=fc959aa79fcdc4d20df04f7b516e2d5a&pid=1-s2.0-S2213398421001494-main.pdf  a1008410 v123 aInfectious disease outbreaks have long posed a public health threat, especially in Africa, where the incidence of infectious outbreaks has risen exponentially. Although, Africa has witnessed several outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola virus disease and other epidemic-prone diseases, little attention has been given towards strengthening the health surveillance systems. However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered the region's already due to inefficient and ineffective health surveillance systems. However, the impact posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on health systems in the region has been catastrophic, it has also stressed the importance of rethinking and focusing on lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we examine how Africa's poor disease surveillance systems affected the responses and strategies aimed at COVID-19 containment. To ensure early disease outbreak identification and prompt public health interventions in Africa, the current disease surveillance and response mechanisms must be strengthened.  a2213-3984