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

Coronavirus - Mauritius: Decisive and timely - Mauritius’ response curbs COVID-19

Soon after the first cases were detected, Mauritius imposed a nationwide lockdown, stepped up screening, contact tracing and public awareness on preventive measures

In late January 2020 the isolation ward at Souillac Hospital in the south of Port Louis had six people in quarantine. They had flown to the Mauritian capital from Wuhan city. This was long before the Indian Ocean island confirmed its first COVID-19 cases, but strict measures were already in…

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

Coronavirus - Africa: COVID-19 Situation update for the WHO African Region

Of the 114 394 reported new cases, the majority, 68% (77 963), were recorded in South Africa

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak continues to accelerate with over 700 000 cases and 12 000 deaths reported in the WHO African Region. Since our last External Situation Report 21 issued on 22 July 2020, a total of 114 394 new confirmed COVID-19 cases (an 18% increase) was reported…

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

New milestone towards a polio-free world, but there is no time to relax

The last case of type 3 in Africa was detected in northern Nigeria in 2012

In another historic step for humanity towards a world free of polio, an independent commission of experts today certified – on World Polio Day – that the second of three types of the wild poliovirus had been eradicated globally. There are three individual and immunologically distinct wild poliovirus types: wild…

WHO Regional Office for Africa

  • Multimedia content

  • Images (3)
    • Searching for polio in unusual places in Tanzania (1)
    • Searching for polio in unusual places in Tanzania (2)
    • Searching for polio in unusual places in Tanzania (3)
  • All (3)
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa |

Searching for polio in unusual places in Tanzania

Finding poliovirus in sewage indicates the virus is circulating among the local population even though no actual cases have yet been reported

“I have been a sewerage operator for more than 20 years now,” says Fundi Mzee, smiling as he leaves his office at the Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority premises for his weekly hunting expedition for polio. “I never thought such a harmful virus could be hiding in the…