News Releases

1 June 2020 | Ebola Disease

New Ebola outbreak detected in northwest Democratic Republic of the Congo; WHO surge team supporting the response

The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced today that a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease is occurring in Wangata health zone, Mbandaka, in Équateur province. The announcement comes as a long, difficult and complex Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC is in its final phase, while the country also battles COVID-19 and the world’s largest measles outbreak.

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28 May 2020 | Coronavirus (COVID-19)

WHO urges caution as countries in Africa ease lockdowns

Three months after the first case of COVID-19 was detected in sub-Saharan Africa, the region has made progress in tackling the virus. Many countries implemented lockdowns and key public health measures early and these appear to have helped slow down the spread of the disease. However, there are concerns that if these measures are relaxed too quickly, COVID-19 cases could start increasing rapidly.

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14 May 2020 | Coronavirus (COVID-19) Food Safety

COVID-19 could deepen food insecurity, malnutrition in Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) today expressed concern at the potential impact of COVID-19 on food security, which is likely to exacerbate the already considerable burden of malnutrition in Africa. The impact of the disease is expected to be greater among those grappling with food scarcity and malnutrition, while widespread food insecurity will likely increase due to movement restrictions. 

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7 May 2020 | Coronavirus (COVID-19)

New WHO estimates: Up to 190 000 people could die of COVID-19 in Africa if not controlled

Eighty-three thousand to 190 000 people in Africa could die of COVID-19 and 29 million to 44 million could get infected in the first year of the pandemic if containment measures fail, a new study by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa finds. The research, which is based on prediction modelling, looks at 47 countries in the WHO African Region with a total population of one billion.

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