Weekly Bulletin on Outbreaks
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WEEKLY BULLETIN ON OUTBREAKS AND OTHER EMERGENCIES Week 19: 3-9 May 2021 Data as reported by: 17:00; 9 May 2021 REGIONAL OFFICE FOR Africa WHO Health Emergencies Programme 1 128 115 13 New event Ongoing events Outbreaks Humanitarian crises 64 0 124 104 3 328 Algeria ¤ 36 13 672 0 4 0 5 929 175 Mauritania 7 2 14 108 500 110 0 7 0 995 54 18 448 455 Niger Mali 9 0 3 742 12 567 0 6 0 2 079 4 4 877 171 Cape Verde 40 692 1 119 Chad Eritrea Senegal 5 074 189 61 0 Gambia 27 0 3 0 26 441 232 1 226 7 847 17 Guinea-Bissau 236 49 7 0 262 702 3 888 Burkina Faso 165 419 2 065 13 379 162 12 0 3 741 67 Guinea 23 12 1 1 30 0 Benin 1 873 72 0 Nigeria Ethiopia 13 2 556 5 4 0 6 995 50 3 473 296 6 188 15 Sierra Leone Togo 74 733 1 144 6 674 93 52 14 Ghana Côte d'Ivoire 10 637 115 14 484 479 149 2 17 0 65 0 South Sudan 40 0 Liberia Central African Republic 1 307 2 49 0 97 17 25 0 22 633 150 14 0 46 442 291 92 951 783 Cameroon 3 0 0 7 28 676 137 56 0 1 018 20 3 1 163 554 2 895 597 1 132 0 124 1 488 6 4 057 79 13 154 7 694 112 1 0 1 0 Equatorial Guinea Uganda 3 0 2 0 542 8 2 066 85 Sao Tome and Principe 42 384 346 Kenya 32 11 Legend 7 884 100 Gabon Congo 2 012 73 Rwanda Humanitarian crisis 2 318 35 25 652 338 Measles 23 432 143 Democratic Republic of the Congo 11 343 148 Burundi Ebola virus disease 4 200 6 Monkeypox Seychelles 30 323 772 564 0 420 29 Skin disease of unknown etiology United Republic of Tanzania Lassa fever 191 0 6 811 28 Yellow fever 509 21 Cholera 63 1 6 257 229 Dengue fever 28 740 663 92 092 1 257 cVDPV2 Leishmaniasis Comoros Angola Malawi COVID-19 Meningitis 304 3 34 171 1 153 726 0 3 854 146 133 0 Zambia Mozambique Anthrax Plague 2 952 40 798 3 Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever 39 012 722 Avian influenza Zimbabwe Madagascar Diarrhoeal disease in children under five years 70 212 823 Malaria 38 419 1 576 Mauritius 10 227 66 48 417 734 Hepatitis E Rift Valley fever 1 246 17 Namibia 3 0 West Nile fever Botswana Acute Food Insecurity Countries reported in the document 50 070 689 Acute Food Eswatini Insecurity Countries outside WHO African Region 18 480 671 Cases WHO Member States with no reported events South Africa Deaths Not applicable 10 733 319Lesotho 1 575 471 54 149 Graded events † “The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply the expression of any (2) opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted and dashed lines on maps represent approximate borderlines for which there may not yet be full agreement.” 0 410 820 Kilometers 23 2 6 Grade 3 events Grade 2 events Grade 1 events 2 23 30 501 Ungraded events ProtractedProtracted 3 3 events events Protracted 2 events ProtractedProtracted 1 1 events event Health Emergency Information and Risk Assessment Overview Contents This Weekly Bulletin focuses on public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African Region. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 129 events in the region. This week’s articles cover: 1 Overview COVID-19 across the WHO African region Ebola virus disease in Guinea 2 -6 Ongoing events Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in Uganda Humanitarian crisis in South Sudan Summary of major 7 issues, challenges For each of these events, a brief description, followed by public health measures and proposed actions implemented and an interpretation of the situation is provided. A table is provided at the end of the bulletin with information on all new and ongoing All events currently 8 public health events currently being monitored in the region, as well as recent events that being monitored have been controlled and closed. Major issues and challenges include: Eleven countries including; Angola, Comoros, Eritrea, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritania, Niger, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia had an increase in weekly cases in the past seven days. South Africa has started seeing an increase in weekly cases after over two months of decline and plateau. The risk of COVID-19 resurgence remains high in African countries due to poor adherence to public health measures. The current upsurge in India could also have a negative implication on vaccine availability globally, particularly in Africa. Three countries have very high rates of community transmission and these are of serious concern. Health worker infections remain of concern as the numbers continue to increase across the region. The 42-day countdown to end of outbreak started in Guinea on 8 May 2021 and surveillance is being enhanced in Nzerekore and neighbouring prefectures over this time. There are currently four new suspected cases, although the number of alerts is falling. Vaccination coverage continues to increase, including among frontline workers and high-risk contacts. Despite alerts around community deaths, safe and dignified burials remain disappointingly low. Efforts continue around understanding reluctance for this prevention measure. Authorities need to remain at the highest level of vigilance to ensure that any remaining chains of transmission are rapidly identified and managed in this countdown period. Uganda has recently reported an outbreak of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, a disease known to occur in livestock in the country. So far the outbreak is confined to two people and there are no deaths. Contact follow-up is underway and the country has rapidly initiated a One Health response, involving animal health and veterinary authorities along with health authorities. However, there are challenges around sample transportation and the requirement for isolation of cases in the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement health facility necessitates a plan in the event of other disease outbreaks. Funding is also required for district outbreak response. The humanitarian crisis in South Sudan has been ongoing for many years and little seems to change in terms of the numbers of people involved, consequent mass population movements and continued insecurity in this troubled region. Humanitarian resources remain limited, access is hampered by insecurity in many regions, coordination mechanisms are poor at sub- national level and there is a chronic shortage of funds, all of which require urgent attention from national authorities and donors. 1 Health Emergency Information and Risk Assessment Health Emergency Information and Risk Assessment Ongoing events 157 3 320 786 83 650 2.5% Coronavirus disease 2019 African region Cases Deaths CFR TThe number of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections increased cases/million), are the five countries with the highest attack rate by 33 794 in the African Region in the past week (3 - 9 May in the region. Liberia (429 cases/million), Democratic Republic 2021), a 14.5% decrease compared to the previous week. A total of Congo (349 cases/million), Burundi (319 cases/million), Chad of 34 (74.0%) countries reported a decrease in new cases. Eleven (306 cases/million), and Niger (234 cases/million) are the five countries (24.0%) including; Angola, Comoros, Eritrea, Eswatini, countries with the lowest cumulative attack rate. Lesotho, Mauritania, Niger, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia had an increase in weekly cases in the past seven days. Only Côte South Africa has the highest number of deaths in the region d’Ivoire showed no significant change in case numbers during (54 735, 65.4%). This is followed by Ethiopia (3 888, 4.6%), this reporting period. Algeria (3328, 4.0%), Kenya (2 895, 3.5%), and Nigeria (2 065, 2.5%), accounting for 80.0% (66 911) of cumulative deaths. The majority of the new cases reported this week were from The median number of deaths per million in the African region South Africa (12 531; 37.1%). This was followed by Ethiopia is estimated at 26.8/million population (range: 0.4/million – 935/ reporting 4 318 cases (12.8%), Kenya reporting 3 132 (9.3%), million) with an average cumulative death rate (per million) in Cabo Verde (2 073; 6.1%) and Angola (1 747; 5.2%). Among the the African region estimated at 76.7/million population. South top reporting countries, South Africa and Uganda recorded the Africa (935 deaths/million population), Eswatini (584/million), highest percent increase in this period. Cabo Verde (422/million), Botswana (300/million), Seychelles (287 million) and Namibia (276/million) are the five countries The African Region also saw a fall in the number of new deaths, with the highest number of COVID-19 related deaths per million with 875 deaths recorded from 31 countries, a 14.2% decrease. population. Burkina Faso (7.8/million population) Uganda (7.8/ Twenty-six (56.5%) countries reported a decline in deaths, while million), Eritrea (3.7/million), Burundi (0.5/million) and United eight (17.4%) had an increase in the past seven days. South Republic of Tanzania (0.4/million) have the lowest number of Africa reported the highest number of deaths (318, 36.3%) COVID-19 related deaths per million population. followed by Ethiopia with 162 (19.0%) and Kenya 132 (15.1%).