This Weekly Bulletin focuses on selected acute public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African Region. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 57 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key ongoing events, including:
- Cholera in Angola
- Cholera in Mozambique
- Cholera in Tanzania
- Monkeypox in Central African Republic
- Humanitarian crisis in Nigeria
For each of these events, a brief description followed by public health measures 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 public health events currently being monitored in the region, as well as events that have recently been closed.
Major issues and challenges include:
The recurrence of cholera outbreaks in several countries of the region remains a serious concern given the high number of cases and deaths that continue to be reported. Inadequate water and sanitation conditions and the onset of the rainy season represent key risk factors for the resurgence of cases.
The large number of acute public health events and protracted emergencies in the region, with an average of 50 events being monitored and responded to, overstretches health systems and calls for more preventive actions and intersectoral collaboration at country level.