WHO AFRO Outbreaks and Other Emergencies, Week 40: 30 September - 6 October 2017(Data as reported by 17:00; 6 October 2017)

This weekly bulletin focuses on selected acute public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African Region. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 46 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key ongoing events, including:

• Plague in Madagascar

• Cholera in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Cholera in Uganda

• Cholera in north--east Nigeria

• Hepatitis E in Niger

• Humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia

• 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 events that have recently been closed.

Major challenges include:

• The ongoing outbreak of bubonic and pneumonic plague in Madagascar has continued to expand but with a decreased case fatality rate. The major concerns include the possibility of wider geographical spread, as well as the high level of public concern this event has caused.

• The cholera outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains serious, with increasing incidence. This outbreak requires urgent and reinforced multisectoral actions.