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WHO Regional Office for Africa
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Vaccine supply crunch adds to risk of COVID-19 resurgence

Africa’s vaccination coverage is the lowest for any region of the world

With Africa-bound COVID-19 vaccine doses from the Serum Institute of India delayed for the foreseeable future, slow vaccine rollouts and new variants making inroads, the risk of a new wave of infections in Africa remains high. Delays and shortages of vaccine supplies are driving African countries to slip further behind…

WHO Regional Office for Africa
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo declared over

This outbreak is the country’s fourth in less than three years

Today marks the end of the 12th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just three months after the first case was reported in North Kivu. The Ebola outbreak that re-emerged in February came nine months after another outbreak in the same province was declared over. The World…

WHO Regional Office for Africa
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Coronavirus - African countries face high risk of COVID-19 resurgence

Three countries face very high risk of COVID-19 resurgence, 20 face high, 22 moderate risk, and only one country faces low risk, according to the risk assessment of 46 countries

The risk of COVID-19 resurgence remains high in several African countries due to poor adherence to public health measures, mass gatherings, low testing and vaccination rates, an analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) has shown. Three countries face very high risk of COVID-19 resurgence, 20 face high, 22 moderate…

WHO Regional Office for Africa
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Democratic Republic of the Congo to vaccinate over 16 million people against yellow fever

The vaccination campaign is part of a comprehensive strategy to eliminate yellow fever epidemics (EYE) globally by 2026

The Democratic Republic of the Congo today launched a preventive yellow fever vaccination campaign targeting more than 16.3 million people – the first such drive against the disease in Africa in 2021. The campaign – being carried out in seven of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 26 provinces among…

WHO Regional Office for Africa
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Risk of major measles outbreaks as countries delay vaccination drives

The outbreaks were largely due to low routine immunization coverage or delayed vaccination drives

Fifteen African countries delayed measles immunization drives last year as they dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. While seven of these countries have now completed the campaigns, eight remain outstanding, posing a risk of major measles outbreaks.  On the eve of the African Vaccination Week – the annual campaign for universal…

WHO Regional Office for Africa
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Frontline Health workers in Hoima District Hesitate about COVID-19 vaccination, then Embrace it after WHO Assurance

Official figures from the Ministry of Health indicate that out of over 80,000 health workers expected to receive the vaccine

Under normal circumstances, one would expect frontline health workers to be lining up in thousands to receive the much-anticipated lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine that does not only offer scientifically proven protection to them but also saves the lives of the eager patients. The COVID-19 outbreak has ushered in some strange behaviours…

WHO Regional Office for Africa
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

The Gambia eliminates trachoma as a public health problem

Trachoma is a neglected tropical eye disease that mainly affects children, with infection less common with increasing age

The Gambia has successfully eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, becoming the third African country to be validated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as having eliminated the disease as a public health threat. Trachoma is a neglected tropical eye disease that mainly affects children, with infection less common…