Programmes and Clusters News

21 June 2021 | Ebola Disease

Guinea’s Minister of Health explains what it took to end Ebola

The Ebola outbreak that erupted in Guinea in early 2021 was declared over on 19 June, just four months after the first cases were confirmed in a rural community in the south of the country. Banking on the lessons learned from the deadly 2014–2016 outbreak as well as a growing national expertise, a prompt response was mounted, helping to curb widespread infection. Minister of Health Honourable Dr Rémy Lamah explains what it took to halt the virus and the challenges met.

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17 June 2021 | Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccines

COVID-19 cases surge in Africa, near first wave peak

COVID-19 cases in Africa are surging by over 20% week-on-week as the continent's third wave gains pace and nears the first wave peak of more than 120 000 weekly cases recorded in July 2020, new data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows. 

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15 June 2021 | Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccines

Giving 110%: Eswatini’s early rollout of COVID-19 vaccines 

“I didn’t think that I could get COVID out here in my village,” says Linda Simelane at her home in Sibebe in rural Eswatini. “I stay away from people, I stay alone, but it happened that I started getting flu symptoms.…

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14 June 2021 | Blood Safety

Blood donation rate falls in Africa in wake of COVID-19 pandemic

Blood donation has fallen by 17% in the African region in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused widespread disruptions to key health services, lives and livelihoods.

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14 June 2021 | Blood Safety

Drop in blood donations add to maternal health threats in Africa

Just half of the blood needed for transfusion each year in the African region is collected, leaving many facing life-threatening shortages. The COVID-19 pandemic has further worsened the shortfall, with donations dropping by 17% over the past year.

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11 June 2021 | Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The system stalling COVID-19 importation into Rwanda

The aircraft engines power down as disembarking passengers rummage through their carry-on bags for documents in readiness for immigration. This is Kigali International Airport, a busy regional hub. The country has implemented an innovative electronic tracking system to stop the domestic spread of COVID-19 from arriving passengers.

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11 June 2021 | Oral Health

Filling the gaps in oral health services in Africa

More than 480 million people in the African region suffer from oral diseases such as dental caries and periodontal diseases, yet oral health remains a low priority in many countries, leading to inadequate financial and technical investment that undermine prevention and care services.

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11 June 2021 | Coronavirus (COVID-19)

How Senegal prepared for COVID-19 surge

As the second wave of COVID-19 infections surged in early 2021, Senegal stepped up measures to cope with the anticipated rise in the number of patients needing critical care. Professor Daye Ka, Infectious and Tropical Disease Expert and member of Senegal’s COVID-19 task force, explains the steps taken to avert hospitals being overrun by a drastic rise in critically ill patients.

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