outbreak

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

The Nyiragongo eruption damaged critical infrastructure around Goma. Aftershocks also continue to threaten buildings in the provincial capital. Which paralyzes economic activity. The capital of northern Kivu has been largely cut off from the rest of the country since the outbreak of Nyiragongo. Goma Airport is closed as a…

An epidemic of Rift Valley fever, a viral disease that mainly affects cattle and can also infect humans, is currently affecting zebo herds in several regions of the country. It is transmitted by mosquito bites, the virus' agent. The Malagasy authorities have taken action. The epidemic began in February and the Pasteur Institute confirmed several outbreaks of the disease in early April. A total of 473 dead zebras were listed, out of a total of about 19,000 animals for four regions, or 35 affected municipalities in the…

A dozen people were killed on Monday in the equivalent of an inter-communal conflict in Bakuakenge, a local disputed by the provinces of Kasai and Kasai Central, in central DRC. This is the heaviest charge since the clashes in August 2020, which led to the killing of ten people and thousands of displaced persons. The crisis remains in this part of the Democratic Republic of Congo where conflicts have…