Attachments
This Weekly Bulletin focuses on public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African region. This week’s articles cover:
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Marburg virus disease in Equatorial Guinea
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Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the WHO African region
For each of these events, a brief description, followed by public health measures implemented and an interpretation of the situation is provided.
A table is provided at the end of the bulletin with 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 and challenges include:
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The report of new confirmed cases of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) in Equatorial Guinea is concerning and indicates that the virus continues to circulate. New confirmed cases were reported in Bata district which is now the epicenter of the outbreak. There is a need to strengthen response activities to identify and break chains of transmission.
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The COVID-19 epidemiological situation in the WHO African Region has remained stable since the start of 2023. The number of cases, deaths and hospitalizations were low, compared to the past three years of the pandemic. Countries are advised to maintain response actions such as risk communication and community engagement messaging and advocacy focused on individual risk assessments, vaccination of vulnerable populations even in the absence of severe disease, and vigilance for COVID-19 related signs and symptoms.