Attachments
This Weekly Bulletin focuses on public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African Region.
This week’s articles cover:
- Cholera in Ghana
- Cholera in Angola
- Cholera in Ethiopia
For each of these events, a brief description is provided, followed by public health measures implemented and an interpretation of the situation.
At the end of the bulletin, a table provides information on all new and ongoing public health events currently being monitored in the region, as well as recent events that have been controlled and closed.
Major Issues
- Cholera in Angola: The cholera outbreak in Angola continues to spread, with new epicentres emerging in Cuanza Norte, Malanje, and Benguela. While the government, supported by WHO and health partners, has made progress through enhanced surveillance, vaccination campaigns, and establishment of treatment centres, the outbreak persists during the ongoing rainy season characterized by flooding and inadequate clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure. The high case fatality ratio is of particular concern and highlights the urgent need to improve early detection and management of cases, including ensuring rapid treatment and addressing barriers to access treatment services.
Immediate attention should focus on strengthening response coordination, scale up WASH interventions, enhance community engagement, and expand vaccination to high-risk areas to bring the outbreak under control. - Cholera in Ethiopia: Ethiopia is facing a resurgence of cholera, primarily in Amhara and Gambella regions. The outbreak, driven by displacement from conflict, poor sanitation, and inadequate access to WASH services, poses a significant public health challenge.
The resurgence follows a period of decline in cases in this protracted outbreak. Response efforts are significantly challenged by ongoing armed conflicts in some areas, restraining opportunity to provide healthcare services. To control the current outbreak, it is crucial to scale up surveillance and case management efforts, including provision of WASH services to affected communities as well as strengthening community engagement and access to treatment services.