Abuja, 18 August, 2020 - The World Health Organization (WHO), in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), has established a national database to collate and monitor the successes and death rate of maternal and perinatal cases in the Nigerian health sector.

Known as the Nigeria Maternal and Perinatal Database for Quality, Equity, and Dignity (MPD-4-QED), the programme  is a standardized electronic platform for the collection, collation, and audits of routine maternal and perinatal data in tertiary level facilities nationwide. 

17 August 2020 — Eighty-seven (87) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 4018 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases to two thousand, five hundred, and forty (2540). To date, one thousand, six hundred and sixty-one (1661) patients have recovered and been discharged, including thirteen (13) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is eight hundred and seventy-one (871) and eight (8) deaths.

Juba – to establish optimal capacities for effective COVID-19 patients care, the Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) trained over 350 health care workers in the 10 states and 4 prioritized COVID-19 locations in South Sudan.

The training aims to build the capacity of health workers for COVID-19 Case Management and emergency response in the context of COVID-19 and enhance understanding of the heightened risks and provide adequate knowledge and skills on infection prevention and control.  

A promise of lowering malaria infection rate is evident in communities that benefit from phase two of the China-Tanzania Malaria project in Kibiti, Kilwa and Rufiji districts in Coast Region of Tanzania. Malaria is endemic in the three districts in the lower reaches of the Rufiji. More than 269,000 people are direct beneficiaries of the project.

The country office of the World Health Organization is the technical evaluator of the project, which is part of the global High Burden High Impact Initiative to roll back malaria.

16 August 2020 — A hundred and one (101) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 4796 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases to two thousand, four hundred, and fifty-three (2453). To date, one thousand, six hundred and forty-eight (1648) patients have recovered and been discharged, including seventeen (17) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is seven hundred and ninety-seven (797) and eight (8) deaths.

15 August 2020 — Fifty-nine (59) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 5569 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases to two thousand, three hundred, and fifty-two (2352). To date, one thousand, six hundred and thirty-one (1631) patients have recovered and been discharged, including twenty-seven (27) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is seven hundred and thirteen (713) and eight (8) deaths.

14 August 2020 — Ninety-three (93) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 4610 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases to two thousand, two hundred, and ninety-three (2293). To date, one thousand, six hundred and four (1604) patients have recovered and been discharged, including forty-six (46) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is six hundred and eighty-one (681) and eight (8) deaths.

With contemporary times calling them disease detectives, epidemiologists play a central role in investigating patterns and causes of disease in humans. “In the context of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), as epidemiologists our focus lies in reducing the risk and occurrence  of negative health outcomes through research, community education and health policy”, says Hilary Kagume Njenge, a Kenyan epidemiologist employed by the World Health Organisation emergency hub for east and southern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya.