Africa CDC Issues Alert on Cholera, Mpox, Marburg Surge Across Continent

He mentioned that Africa cannot attain comprehensive health coverage or be ready for pandemics without the capacity to fund, manufacture, an...

He mentioned that Africa cannot attain comprehensive health coverage or be ready for pandemics without the capacity to fund, manufacture, and manage its own healthcare systems and responses.

The Africa Center for Disease Control and PreventionThe Africa CDC has issued a warning about an increase in cholera, Mpox, and Marburg virus disease outbreaks throughout the region, highlighting worries over inadequate water infrastructure, substandard sanitation, and rising financial shortfalls that are threatening Africa's public health safety.

The head of Health Emergencies at the Africa CDC, Yap Boum, issued a warning on Thursday during the organization's weekly online press conference.

Mr. Boum stated that following the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, Africa has been advancing a new agenda focused on health security and sovereignty across the continent.

He stated that The Lancet had released the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty Agenda, signifying a change from the previous New Public Health Order.

He stated that the new approach is based on five pillars aimed at creating a more inclusive regional health system.

The key elements include prevention, readiness, and crisis management, digital evolution, production of medical supplies locally; as well as national, creative, and combined methods of funding healthcare.

He mentioned that Africa cannot attain comprehensive health coverage or be ready for pandemics without the capacity to fund, manufacture, and manage its own healthcare systems and responses.

He also cautioned that Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is already responsible for more than 27 deaths per 100,000 individuals in Africa, with the actual number probably much greater.

As per his statement, this is happening even as the world observes the AMR week.

Only 1.3 percent of laboratories across the continent are equipped for bacteriology, indicating that most antibiotics are prescribed without lab testing, leading to improper use and resistance.

Mr. Boum mentioned that the number of Mpox cases kept decreasing across the continent, while pointing out that Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, and Guinea were still regions of worry.

He mentioned that Ghana has demonstrated consistent progress in the last three weeks, with 72 percent of cases located in the Greater Accra and Western Regions, where monitoring, RCC activities, and immunization campaigns are being enhanced.

He pointed out that Ghana's 25 per cent test positivity rate suggests ongoing active case identification and contact tracing.

"Vaccination efforts are ongoing, with almost one million doses distributed in 16 countries, and 80 percent of nations having utilized over half of their vaccine supplies," he stated.

"Liberia is set to get 20,000 doses next week, and Kenya is expected to receive another shipment on December 10," he stated.

Cholera

The incident manager from the Africa CDC added that cholera continues to be the most critical outbreak on the continent, with three times as many cases and fatalities compared to figures from three years prior.

He stated that South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, and Nigeria now represent 90 per cent of all cholera cases across the continent.

Providing country-specific details, he mentioned that Angola had 152 affected municipalities, a mortality rate of 2.6 percent, and a decrease in weekly cases from 606 to 500.

He pointed out that 44 percent of Angola's population still did not have access to clean drinking water, leading the Africa CDC to emphasize the critical need for consistent investments in water and sanitation.

He mentioned that in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the nation had recorded 7,000 cases within six weeks, even with a decreasing trend, which makes it one of the most affected countries regarding cholera in Africa.

Mr. Boum mentioned that Burundi maintained a very low mortality rate of 0.4 percent, with the number of cases decreasing, despite the significant risk posed by unstable water systems.

"Kenya is facing challenges from both mpox and cholera, with a mortality rate of approximately four percent, exceeding recommended limits, and the main affected areas continue to be Narok, Migori, and the semi-urban regions of Nairobi," he stated.

He mentioned that Cameroon has also recorded new cholera cases in the Far North region, which shares a border with Nigeria, where challenging terrain is hindering access, although officials have initiated quick response mechanisms.

He mentioned that Ethiopia is still addressing an outbreak of Marburg virus disease in Jinka, located in southern Ethiopia, where four cases have been confirmed and three fatalities have been reported.

"Quick reaction units are sent out, and the Africa CDC is aiding monitoring and border readiness in Kenya and South Sudan," he stated. (NAN)

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