Second Ebola death reported in DR Congo

Second Ebola death reported in DR Congo

A second person has died of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, following reports of a new outbreak in Equateur Province in the northwestern part of the country. The World Health Organization says the 25-year-old woman died after first exhibiting symptoms nearly two weeks ago. She was…

WHO says Africa is on track in the fight against COVID-19

WHO says Africa is on track in the fight against COVID-19

Exactly two years after the first COVID-19 was confirmed on the African continent, the outlook for 2022 remains positive in terms of getting the pandemic under control, according to the World Health Organization. “The African continent has gotten smarter, faster and better at responding to each new surge in cases…

Africa sees surge in COVID cases

Health officials on the African continent are seeing a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, with an 83% surge seen during the past week. The surge is driven by both the Delta and the Omicron variants, according to World Health Organization (WHO) experts who provided an update Tuesday. They warn that…

Sexual abuse in DR Congo ‘a dark day for WHO’

World Health Organization leaders responded with shock and sorrow after an independent panel released an investigative report that found widespread sexual abuse committed by workers during the 2020 Ebola outbreak in the country’s east. Malick Coulibaly, a panel member, said the commission interviewed dozens of women who were offered work…

WHO calls for fair access to vaccines for Africans

Top African health officials are calling for more equitable vaccine distribution, noting that less than 2 percent of the vaccines delivered to date have been for people on the continent and most of that is in just 10 nations. “Although progress is being made, many African countries have barely moved…

WHO works to trace 70+ contacts of new Ebola case in DR Congo

The head of the World Health Organization said Monday that officials in Democratic Republic of Congo have identified more than 70 contacts of a woman with confirmed Ebola virus who has already died. “WHO is supporting local and national authorities to trace them and provide care where needed,” said Tedros…

Magufuli vaccine remarks continue COVID denial trend

President John Magufuli of Tanzania – no stranger to controversy where the COVID pandemic has been concerned – has made new and alarming statements about the coronavirus during a public appearance. Magufuli questioned the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, according to local media accounts of his remarks, and put…

Africa’s health tech takes flight in the fight against COVID

The Urumuri robot helping to screen passengers at Rwanda’s Kigali International Airport is just one of more than 120 health technology innovations that Africans are using in the fight against COVID-19. That’s according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) analysis of 1,000 new or modified technologies developed around the…

Africa celebrates success of 24-year effort to end wild polio

Africans celebrated the end of wild poliovirus on the continent on Tuesday, making good on an international promise that dates to 1996 and the Nelson Mandela era. “This is a momentous milestone for Africa. Now future generations of African children can live free of wild polio,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti,…

WHO warns COVID-19 spread is accelerating for Africa

More than 200,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed on the African continent, and the sweep of the pandemic is accelerating, according to World Health Organization (WHO). Officials said Thursday the coronavirus count reached the benchmark of 100,000 cases in 98 days, but it then took only 19 days to…

Moeti remains WHOAFRO chief as continent focuses on coronavirus

WHO held its executive board meeting in Geneva on Monday, with Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, reappointed to her position. Yet much of the meeting focused on the 2019nCov outbreak, which was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on Thursday. China’s latest update…

WHO campaign set to reach 13 nations with polio vaccination

A week-long campaign to help end polio is wrapping up in 13 African countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. More than 116 million children are receiving vaccinations in what WHO describes as one of the largest synchronized and simultaneous campaigns ever achieved on the African continent. More than 190,000…