Attachments
This Weekly Bulletin focuses on public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African region. This week’s articles cover:
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Diphtheria in Guinea
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Measles in Ethiopia
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Humanitarian Crisis in South Sudan
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 worsening diphtheria situation affecting nearly all regions in Guinea poses considerable challenges. The increasing number of cases, coupled with their spread across regions, is compounded by various factors, including low vaccination coverage, overcrowded living conditions, delayed healthcare seeking and diagnosis, deficiencies in case management, and limited public information dissemination.
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The humanitarian crisis in South Sudan is deeply concerning. Refugees, asylum-seekers, and returnees face harrowing challenges. Reports from Wedwil, Aweil, and the Panakuach border in the Unity/Ruweng Administrative Area indicate a grim situation marked by extortion, physical violence, sexual harassment, and looting, often accompanied by violence. In addition, the extreme weather, poor road networks, and funding constraints are hampering the vital transportation assistance required for relief efforts. New arrivals in Renk have significantly outnumbered departures facilitated by partners, adding to the urgency of the situation. The presence of several returnees across 36 counties only exacerbates the crisis. Partners are striving to provide three months’ worth of food assistance to these returnees in their final destinations.