This Weekly Bulletin focuses on selected acute public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African Region. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 59 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key new and ongoing events, including:
- Floods in Kenya
- Meningitis in Niger
- Lassa fever in Nigeria
- Cholera in Zimbabwe
- Humanitarian crisis in South Sudan
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:
Large parts of Kenya are being affected by floods following heavy seasonal rains. Thousands of people have been displaced and several others have died or been injured. The country is currently having active outbreaks of communicable diseases, including cholera and chikungunya. Some of the affected areas in Kenya also host large numbers of refugees, already living in a vulnerable state. The current floods in Kenya may have huge public health implications if not attended to diligently.
The humanitarian crisis in South Sudan remains serious, in tandem with the security situation. While not new, the deliberate and continuous attacks on humanitarian workers are a major concern, severely affecting delivery of humanitarian assistance. Two incidents have occurred in the past few days, leading to loss of lives. The security and humanitarian situations in South Sudan call for action from the global partners.