| Outbreaks Newsletter -July 2023 |
Outbreaks in the African region – update  Brazzaville- There are currently 145 ongoing disease outbreaks and health emergencies due to humanitarian crises in the region reported to World Health Organization (WHO). Over the past month, 5 new emergency events have been reported, including Dengue fever in Ivory Coast, Poliomyelitis (cVDPV2) in Kenya and suspected Anthrax in Ghana. WHO and partners are supporting governments to respond to 125 disease outbreaks. The Organization is also supporting response to 20 humanitarian crises triggered by conflict and/or natural disasters. In the past month, 12 outbreaks have been controlled, including Marburg Virus Disease in Tanzania and Equatoria Guinea, Lassa Fever in Guinea, and Rift Valley Fever in Niger. —————————————————————————————————————– Stepping up emergency health assistance in Chad as conflict in Sudan rages  Abeche, Chad – Lying in a hospital bed, Idriss Yahya Annour, who recently fled the conflict in Sudan to neighbouring Chad, recalls how the vehicle they were escaping in came under fire in an attack that left him with a bullet wound and a fractured femur. After days of trekking with his family to seek safety, they finally crossed the border into Chad where he was evacuated for treatment at a hospital in Abeche in eastern Chad where many of those fleeing the conflict have settled. Read More —————————————————————————————————————– WHO intensifies delivery of emergency health supplies to save lives During health emergencies, delivering critical supplies quickly saves lives. In the wake of conflict in Sudan, WHO is intensifying emergency health assistance to hundreds of thousands of people forced to flee across borders. With support from the Organization, field doctors are providing vital care. |
Outbreak response assessments boost polio preparedness, one health facility at a time Far from being “fault-finding” missions, polio Outbreak Response Assessments offer an opportunity to build country capacity for disease surveillance and preparedness, one health facility at a time, says Sambo Godwin Ishaku, logistics and cold chain officer with World Health Organization (WHO) in Tanzania . Tanzania recently concluded an Outbreak Response Assessment to evaluate its vaccination and surveillance capacity to detect and halt polio transmission. Ishaku stresses that if health workers are not trained to recognize the signs of diseases such as polio, cases can be easily missed. Read more —————————————————————————————————————– Making a difference on health in Africa  Dr Gift Sten Chinomban Medical doctor, Malawi As a general practitioner for over a decade, Dr Gift Sten Chinomba has treated many cholera patients. Yet, until earlier this year, when Malawi experienced its worst-ever cholera outbreak, he had never set foot in a cholera treatment centre like the one the World Health Organization established at Bakala district hospital, in Southern Malawi. Read more |
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