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  • 19 dead, 39 infected so far in Congo Ebola outbreak – WHO

    The WHO on Monday confirmed 19 deaths in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following an outbreak of Ebola between April 4 and May 13.

    The WHO also confirmed 39 suspected cases.

    It said 393 people who identified as contacts of Ebola patients were being followed up.

    Information about the outbreak in Bikoro, Iboko and Wangata health zones in Equateur province was still limited, the WHO said in a statement.

    At present the outbreak did not meet the criteria for declaring a “public health event of international concern”, which would trigger the formation of an emergency WHO committee.

    The WHO said it has obtained 4,000 doses of Ebola vaccine and is preparing for deployment in the DRC, its Africa director said on Sunday.

    “We’re working on the deployment of these materials, especially readying the cold chain,” WHO Africa Director Matshidiso Moeti told Reuters by telephone.

    “The start date of the vaccinations will depend on this deployment.”

  • Nigeria’s Lassa fever outbreak contained -WHO

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that with declining numbers and only a handful of confirmed cases reported in recent weeks, the critical phase of Nigeria’s largest Lassa fever outbreak is under control.

    According to a statement issued by WHO’s Communication Officer, Ms Charity Warigon in Abuja on Friday, continued vigilance is, however, needed as the country is still Lassa fever endemic.

    She said that this year, 423 confirmed cases, including 106 deaths, had been reported but that national case numbers had consistently declined in the past six weeks.

    The spokeswoman said that the numbers had dropped below levels considered to be of national emergency when compared with data from previous outbreaks.

    Warigon said that in the week ending May 6, only three new confirmed cases of Lassa fever were reported, stating that people could still be infected throughout the year hence the need for continued vigilance.

    The UN agency congratulated Nigeria for reaching a milestone in the fight against Lassa fever but urged the country not to “let its foot off the pedal”.

    It assured the Federal Government its continuous support in maintaining intensified response to the outbreak.

    “WHO continues to help states that have reported new cases by strengthening their capacity to conduct disease surveillance, treat patients, implement infection prevention and control measures, laboratory diagnostics and engaging with communities.

    “Communities are encouraged to remain vigilant and report any rumour to the nearest health facility because early diagnosis and treatment can save lives.

    “Thirty-seven health workers have been infected with Lassa fever and eight have died.

    “This highlights the need to implement standard infection prevention and control precautions with all patients regardless of their diagnosis.

    “Health workers are urged to maintain a high index of suspicion for Lassa fever when handling patients with fever, headache, sore throat and general body weakness, especially when malaria has been ruled out with a Rapid Diagnostic Test.”

    The world body also urged health workers to adhere to standard precautions by wearing protective equipment like gloves, face masks, face shields and aprons when handling suspected Lassa fever patients.

    WHO in its Emergency Report, issued in April stated that in March less than 20 cases were reported each week while only five new cases were reported in the week ending April 15.

    These figures, according to WHO compare with earlier reports issued in January, the beginning of the outbreak, to Feb. 18, when the number of weekly reported Lassa fever cases increased from 10 to 70.

    NAN

  • WHO prepares for worst case Ebola scenario

    The WHO is preparing for the worst case scenario in an Ebola outbreak in a remote area of Congo, including spread to a major town.

    WHO Deputy Director-General of Emergency Preparedness and Response Peter Salama on Friday told a regular UN briefing in Geneva that he hoped the Democratic Republic of Congo would give the green light within days for the deployment of an experimental vaccine, but warned that the drug was complicated to use and was not a magic bullet.

    He said the WHO had alerted the nine neighbouring countries but currently regarded the risk of regional spread as “moderate”.

    WHO said 17 people have died since inhabitants of a village in the country’s northwest began showing symptoms resembling Ebola in December,

    This is the ninth time Ebola has been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the disease made its first known appearance – near the vast central African country’s northern Ebola river – in the 1970s.

    “One of the defining features of this epidemic is the fact that three health professionals have been affected,” Health Minister Oly Ilunga said in a statement. “This situation worries us and requires an immediate and energetic response.”

    Most of the cases so far have been recorded around the village of Ikoko Impenge, near the northwestern town of Bikoro.

    Congo’s long experience of Ebola and its remote geography mean outbreaks are often localised and relatively easy to isolate.

    But Ikoko Impenge and Bikoro are situated not far from the banks of the Congo River, a major artery for trade and transport upstream from the capital Kinshasa.

    The Congo Republic is just on the other side of the river.

    A spokesman for the director of epidemiology in Congo Republic said government experts would meet on Thursday to discuss measures to prevent it crossing the border.

    Nigeria’s immigration service said on Thursday it had increased screening tests at airports and other entry points as a precautionary measure.

    Similar measures helped it contain the virus during the West African epidemic that began in 2013.

    Officials in Guinea and Gambia both said they had heightened screening measures along their borders to prevent the spread.

    Democratic Republic of Congo’s health ministry said it had dispatched a team of 12 experts to the northwest to try to trace new contacts of the disease, identify the epicentre and all affected villages and provide resources.

    Ebola is most feared for the internal and external bleeding it can cause in its victims owing to damage done to blood vessels.

     

  • Ebola strikes again in DRC

    Two cases of the Ebola virus disease have been confirmed by a lab report in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to a source from the Ministry of Health on Tuesday.

    In the 2014 to 2015 outbreak, 11,000 people died, mainly in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia; and the last outbreak of Ebola in the DRC was in 2014 that killed more than 40 people.

    Of the nine people suspected to have contracted the deadly virus, three died, with one case of Ebola confirmed through tests at the national laboratory in the capital Kinshasa, WHO Congo representative Allarangar Yokouide said in a statement.

    People began to get sick on or after 22 April in Bas-Uele province in the country’s far north, he added. The region affected lies 1,300km north-east of Kinshasa, close to the border with the Central African Republic.

    “It is in a very remote zone, very forested, so we are a little lucky. But we always take this very seriously,” WHO Congo spokesman Eric Kabambi said.

    The WHO described the outbreak as “a public health crisis of international importance”. It said the first teams of experts, including epidemiologists, biologists and hygiene specialists had been dispatched and were due to arrive in the affected region by Friday or Saturday.

    While this outbreak will be extremely worrying for communities in this remote part of northern DR Congo, it is important to remember that the country has stamped out more Ebola outbreaks than any other place on earth.

    It is well practiced in fighting the deadly virus. Ebola was first identified in DR Congo (then Zaire) in 1976. Since then, there have been at least eight in the country.

    The last was in 2014, when – at the same time – parts of West Africa were fighting a separate outbreak, the worst in history.

    DR Congo was able to bring an end to its epidemic within four months. In West Africa, which had never experienced an Ebola outbreak before, it took two years.

    Authorities in the DR Congo will need to act quickly to contain the virus, and ensure it doesn’t spread to more populated areas.

    This time, for the first time, health officials have another weapon they can use. The world has an experimental vaccine that could be deployed if needed.

     

  • Nigeria far from eliminating malaria – WHO

    Nigeria far from eliminating malaria – WHO

    Nigeria is yet to be listed among African countries who have made significant progress in eliminating malaria, a statement by the World Health Organisations (WHO) says.

    Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director of Africa, in her message to commemorate the “World Malaria Day 2018” in Abuja on Wednesday, said 14 countries with the world’s biggest malaria problem were in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    Moeti said these countries still accounted for 80 per cent of the global burden of malaria with 194 million new cases and 410,000 deaths recorded in 2016 alone.

    She however said some countries in the region have witnessed a decrease in malaria cases and deaths showing significant potential to eliminate malaria by 2020.

    According to Moeti, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Senegal, Gambia and Zimbabwe are among 16 countries globally that witnessed a decrease in malaria cases and deaths by more than 20 per cent between 2015 and 2016.

    She said that Algeria, Botswana, Cape Verde, Comoros, South Africa and Swaziland could potentially eliminate malaria by 2020.

    The WHO regional director expressed concern over the slow pace of progress in some African countries with significant gaps in the implementation measures to eliminate the disease.

    Moeti said international and domestic funding for malaria prevention and control has also stagnated in the region.

    “Some countries in the African region recorded the biggest rise of malaria testing in the public sector from 36 per cent of suspected cases in 2010 to 87 per cent in 2016.

    “Over half the people at risk of malaria across sub-Saharan Africa have been sleeping under insecticide-treated nets for the past five years indicating some success in behaviour change and outreach campaigns.

    “This progress needs to be sustained. Eliminating malaria requires above all political leadership at the highest level as well as leadership of programmes, resource mobilisation, inter sectoral and cross-border collaboration.

    “We are ready to beat malaria but the pace of progress must be accelerated to achieve a 40 per cent drop in global malaria cases and deaths by 2020 compared to 2015 levels,” Moeti said.

    She said that the world malaria day was an occasion to renew political commitment and continue investing in malaria prevention and control.

    The regional director said the day also focuses global attention on malaria and its devastating impact on families, communities and development.

    Moeti called on countries still affected by malaria to work with development partners to boost investments in malaria prevention and control, especially in new tools to combat the scourge.

    She said: “This will propel countries along the road to elimination and contribute to the achievement of other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as improving maternal and child health.’’

    The theme for the 2018 World Malaria Day is “Ready to Beat Malaria”.

    The theme stresses the need to accelerate efforts to defeat malaria and remind countries of their commitment to end malaria epidemic by 2030 as one of the SDGs.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government on April 22, committed to securing $300 million from the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and African Development Bank to eliminate malaria in the country.

    The government also pledged additional $18.7 million to leverage on $37 million from the Global Fund Grant to enable it distribute 15 million mosquito nets and support local manufacturing of essential malaria commodities.

     

  • 59m children stunted, 10m overweight in Africa – WHO

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) says no fewer than 59 million children in Africa are stunted while another 10 million are overweight.

    The UN health agency also warned that Africa’s attempts to achieve health for all by 2030 could be threatened unless the continent address the twin challenges of under-nutrition and obesity.

    Under-nutrition occurs when people do not get enough to eat, resulting in conditions such as wasting, which is when a child becomes dangerously thin.

    On the other hand, people who are obese have body fat levels that may impair their health.

    The WHO Regional Office for Africa called these two issues “the double burden of malnutrition”.

    Together with diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, they are leading to “catastrophic costs” for citizens, communities and national healthcare systems across the continent.

    The health experts at a WHO meeting in Nairobi, therefore, pressed for action to address the ‘double burden’ of malnutrition in Africa.

    “A 2016 study showed an estimated 59 million children in Africa were stunted, which is when a child is too short for their height: another condition caused by under-nutrition.

    “Additionally, 14 million children suffered from wasting, which the WHO Office said is a strong predictor of mortality among children under five.

    “Meanwhile, 10 million Africans were overweight, which is nearly double the number from 2000,” WHO said.

    The UN agency noted the rising cases of malnutrition problem, compared to a 2014 report, which estimated that five per cent of men and 15 per cent of women over 18-years-old were obese.

    Dr Felicitas Zawaira, Director of the Family and Reproductive Health Cluster at the WHO Regional Office, stressed the need for healthy diets among African children.

    “Improving nutrition sustainably requires consideration of how to produce, deliver, and ensure access to healthy diets and essential nutrients, not just greater quantities of food,” Zawaira said.

    In 2015, Heads of State adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which seek to bring about a more just and equitable world for all people and the planet by 2030.

    SDG 3, which focuses on good health and well-being, calls for achieving universal health coverage by this deadline, among other targets.

    “Tackling all forms of malnutrition for the achievement of universal health coverage and the health-related SDGs requires remedial actions from multiple sectors and on many fronts,” Zawaira stated.

    Such measures include implementing policies and action to control the marketing and consumption of unhealthy foods, or to promote consumption of healthy foods through taxation and subsidies.

    Nigeria accounts for 20 percent of births in Africa– UNICEF

     

  • Nigeria to host WHO leaders

    Nigeria will this week host leaders of the World Health Organisation, an international health agency which has been working on various health interventions in the country.

    According to a press statement released by WHO on Sunday, Nigeria will be hosting members of the Global Policy Group (GPG) which is made up of the Director-General, Deputy Director-General, six Regional Directors and the Executive Director of the WHO Emergencies Programme.

    The members are expected to have a meeting from Tuesday to Thursday.

    The discussions will focus on WHO’s technical support to strengthen the country’s health system to achieve the health related Sustainable Development Goals within the context of revitalisation of PHCs for universal health coverage and humanitarian response in the Northeast.

    The GPG is an internal advisory mechanism to the Director-General (DG), established to ensure the coherent implementation of decisions, policies and strategies of WHO across all levels of the organization.

    According to the statement, Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, said the country is honored to host the Director General and Regional Directors of WHO at this auspicious time”.

    Mr Adewole said the presence of WHO’s top decision makers provides opportunity for Nigeria to strengthen collaboration with the WHO.

    The WHO Director General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, and regional directors are also expected to pay a courtesy call on President Muhammadu Buhari to commend him on efforts to improve the health and well-being of Nigerians,and the commendable aspiration of reaching over 100 million Nigerians with basic minimum package of primary healthcare services.

    Mr Tedros is expected to carry out a full programme of activities including field visits to relevant health agencies such as Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Revitalized Model Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Kuchingoro, Abuja and to also hold discussions with, high-ranking government officials and key stakeholders.

    Whilst in Nigeria, the WHO DG will also launch the implementation of the Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemic (EYE) Strategy in Africa on April 10.

     

  • Nigeria can achieve Universal Health Coverage – WHO

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Nigeria has the resources to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030, the date agreed on by UN member states.

    Dr Wondimagegnehu Alemu, the WHO Nigeria Country Representative, said this in Abuja on Friday at a news conference ahead of “World Health Day 2018″ and celebration of WHO’s 70th Anniversary.

    The World Health Day 2018 will be commemorated on April 7 with the theme: “Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere.”

    The organisation will also on the same day celebrate 70 years of its existence.

    Alemu expressed optimism that Nigeria’s resources , if properly channeled, will enable the country to achieve UHC goal.

    He said the main objective of UHC was to protect people from financial consequences of paying for health services out of their own pockets, thereby reducing poverty.

    The WHO official added that Nigeria, like other countries of the world, Nigeria was expected to be able to provide free healthcare services to citizens by 2030.

    Alemu explained that achieving UHC by 2030 was one of the targets nations of the world set when the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was adopted in 2015.

    He said Nigeria had already developed a UHC framework and all that was left to do was to channel resources appropriately and to ensure that the private sector and citizens were involved in the implementation process.

    He noted that the Primary Health Care (PHC) was the mechanism the Federal Government chose to use in actualising the UHC framework, hence it was partnering with WHO to revitalise PHC system.

    Alemu said that the global body, in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), was working to strengthen the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and support states to establish State Insurance Scheme.

    He disclosed that the strategy would enable the government to provide free healthcare services to citizens, especially those in rural communities and those who were earlier not eligible to receive health services through insurance scheme.

    The WHO representative said Abia, Niger and Osun states would be used to kick-start the project.

    “We want to ensure that health services are provided at primary healthcare levels in the country, hence we are making primary health care centres in political wards functional.

    “The centres have to be brought to standard where they have adequate infrastructure, drugs, human resources and other commodities needed to provide services.

    “We will ensure that there is operational expenditure in those health facilities to be able to provide these things.

    “We will also ensure proper monitoring and evaluation, including strengthening community structures to provide oversight support to those facilities.

    “The FMoH is engaging partners to ensure that this is successful and the implementation of the project will start this year.

    “Nigeria has the resources to achieve this. What we need to do is to ensure that the resources are channeled in a way that will bring equitable access to essential services.

    “The country will reach UHC by 2030 if we follow this plan and implement all strategies contained in the Nigeria UHC Framework,” said Alemu.

  • Saraki’s Wife bags appointment as WHO Special Adviser

    Wife of the President of the Senate, Mrs. Toyin Ojora Saraki, has been named as special adviser to the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (AFRO).

    The Media Office of the Wife of the President of the Senate in a statement in Abuja, said the appointment was made earlier this month by WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, “in a move intended to bring Mrs. Saraki’s considerable frontline experience to bear on WHO’s strategy and policy.”

    Mrs. Saraki has since accepted the appointment based on the Advisory Group’s focus on women and children’s health and in view of her role as a global champion for Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC).

    She said: “I welcome the Advisory Group meeting’s focus on the health of women, children and adolescents as flagship indicators for Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) progress.

    “As a global champion for UHC, I advocate for a fuller understanding of its benefits, which go beyond health outcomes and include improved gender equality, higher levels of preparedness for epidemic outbreaks and transformative economic effects.

    “As Global Goodwill Ambassador for the International Confederation of Midwives, I particularly welcome the introduction of WHO AFRO’s focused curriculum for the professional qualification education of Midwives and Nurses in Africa.

    “I am looking forward to hitting the ground running in my new role as special advisor at the Independent Advisory Group meeting this week in Johannesburg.

    “The experience I have gained as Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, working closely with our midwives on the frontline, as part of the global Every Woman Every Child Strategy to end all preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths, including stillbirths, by 2030, will inform my advice to the WHO.

    “Last year, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, became the first African Director-General of the WHO, while his commitment to Universal Health Coverage represents bold leadership. I look forward to working closely with him, Dr. Moeti and all partners to make affordable and accessible healthcare a reality across Africa,” she stated.

  • WHO budgets $178m on health issues in Nigeria for two years

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday, says it will spend $178 million from 2018 to 2019 on health related issues in Nigeria.

    The WHO Country Representative, Dr Wondimagegnehu Alemu, said this at a joint approval of the biennium WHO programme Budget of 2018 to 2019 with the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole in Abuja.

    Alemu said $127 million, representing 66 per cent of the budget, would be spent on polio eradication programmes.

    He said that $30 million would be expended on communicable disease projects such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS within the period under review.

    According to him, $8.1 million is earmarked for promotion of health care through reduction of maternal and child mortality as well as family planning.

    Alemu also said the remaining funds would be used for emergencies arising from of outbreak of diseases.

    The Country Representative, who stated that he signed the budget on behalf of his regional Director, disclosed that it had been approved by the regional office.

    He said that there would be consultative meetings among partners and stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of the budget.
    In his remarks, Adewole commended WHO for its efforts to boost health sector.

    He said that Nigeria had received a lot of supports from the organisation, adding that the signing of the budget was an evident of continued support of WHO to Nigeria.

    The Minister also commended WHO for the assistance to the country, especially in terms of polio eradication.

    He noted that the budgeted for the eradication of polio virus was quite significant, adding that it would help to maintain surveillance on the disease.

    “I am also happy on what is earmarked for communicable and tropical diseases; a chunk will go into that area.

    “On behalf of the people and the government of Nigeria, I wish to express appreciation for the support we have been receiving from WHO, we are indeed grateful” he said.