Browsing Tag

outbreak

Somalia’s Diphtheria Outbreak Worsens: Children Hit Hard by Vaccine Shortages and Reduced Aid

Somalia’s Diphtheria Surge: A Crisis of Health and Hope In the heart of East Africa, a silent storm brews as Somalia grapples with an unprecedented surge in diphtheria cases. The situation is not merely a local crisis but a reflection of broader systemic vulnerabilities, casting a spotlight on the fragile state of public health infrastructure across the nation. The Alarming Numbers With over 1,600 cases and 87 tragic deaths reported in 2025, the gravity of the diphtheria outbreak is unmistakeable. This figure starkly…

Rwanda Prepares to Celebrate the Conclusion of the Marburg Outbreak

Rwanda is on the verge of officially declaring its Marburg outbreak as resolved after successfully discharging the very last patient who had fully recovered. Over the course of this health crisis, the nation witnessed more than 60 cases of infection, leading to 15 tragic fatalities, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). With a significant number of individuals having emerged victorious against the virus, the mortality rate now sits at a concerning 23%. Furthermore, it's noteworthy that there haven’t been any…

Tracing the Source of Rwanda’s Marburg Outbreak Identified

In a recent announcement, Sabin Nsanzimana, the Minister of Health, disclosed that the current Marburg virus outbreak originated with a 27-year-old individual who had come into contact with fruit bats while working in a cave linked to mining activities. This patient sought care at King Faisal Hospital in Kigali. Initially misdiagnosed with malaria, further testing eventually confirmed he was infected with the Marburg virus, leading to a rapid spread of the disease among close contacts and several healthcare workers.…

Somalia Urgently Appeals for Vaccination to Tackle the Lengthiest Variant Outbreak Globally

On October 24, 2024, the Somali Health Minister, Dr. Ali Haji Adam, took the stage during a gathering in Mogadishu to commemorate World Polio Day. This occasion underscored Somalia's fresh determination to stamp out polio and ramp up vaccination campaigns in alliance with WHO and UNICEF. CREDIT: Ministry of Health - Somalia/ X (Twitter) Mogadishu (AX) — On World Polio Day, Somalia, hand in hand with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, reaffirmed its pledge to eliminate polio, urging heightened actions to shield…

Rwanda Faces Challenges in Containing the Marburg Virus Outbreak

Rwandan health officials are deeply engaged in a massive contact tracing initiative, tracking down countless individuals to curtail the spread of a particularly alarming disease across the nation and beyond. Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana remarked, “We’re confronting the challenge of viral hemorrhagic fever while simultaneously addressing mpox.” This dual health scare gives rise to a pressing need for swift action. During a recent online briefing, Nsanzimana reiterated their commitment to halting the virus's advance. “We…

Marburg Outbreak Claims Nine Lives in Rwanda as WHO Takes Action

The World Health Organization (WHO) is ramping up efforts to provide medical assistance to Rwanda in its fight against the Marburg virus disease (MVD), a lethal hemorrhagic fever that has tragically resulted in nine fatalities to date. According to the Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, authorities have pinpointed around 300 individuals who were in close contact with confirmed cases and are currently under vigilant observation. MVD, a severe virus primarily spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of…

Revamping Vaccine Distribution: A Necessity in Tackling the Mpox Outbreak

Mpox, a virus that has caused a considerable stir, has seen a worrying uptick in cases across the African continent. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) finds itself at the heart of this growing crisis. As of January 2024, a staggering 3,800 confirmed cases have been reported, cutting across 15 nations, with DR Congo bearing the brunt— over 90% of these infections are within its borders. This alarming situation has prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to ring the alarm bells. They've labeled this…

Sweden confirms first case of deadly mpox strain

Swedish health authorities said Thursday they had registered the first case outside Africa of the more dangerous variant of mpox, a viral infection spread through close contact. The announcement came a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global health emergency for the second time in two years, warning that the virus could eventually spread across international borders. Sweden's public health authority confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the case was the same…

Indonesia’s Covid-19 outbreak: Volunteers step up as

The Covid-19 outbreak continues to worsen in Indonesia. Powered by the highly portable Delta variant, cases and deaths have risen across the country. Hospitals have become overwhelmed, forcing some of the newly infected to have no choice but to isolate themselves at home. We see how volunteers have helped. We also take a…

Nyiragongo outbreak: “There was no sign

Congolese Prime Minister Sama Lukonde Kyenge ended a three-day visit to Goma on Monday, affected by a volcanic eruption on May 22. Eight million US dollars is needed, he said, to meet the urgent needs of the affected populations who had to evacuate Goma in a disaster. The Prime Minister has approved that these populations gradually return and promises that lessons will be learned ... He answers questions from Patient Ligodi. RFI: Why the Goma Volcanological Observatory (OVG) could not raise the warning before the outbreak…

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