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WHO AFRO Outbreaks and Other Emergencies, Week 2: 6 - 12 January 2018 (Data as reported by 17:00; 12 January 2018)

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South Sudan
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WHO
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This Weekly Bulletin focuses on selected acute public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African Region. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 54 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key ongoing events, including:

  • Chikungunya in Kenya
  • Cholera in Malawi
  • Cholera in Zambia
  • Suspected Rift Valley fever in South Sudan
  • Humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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 humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to deteriorate. While the cholera outbreak trend has been declining steadily, the recent flash floods in Kinshasa and ongoing rainy season in the country may accelerate further transmission and escalate the situation. There is already a sharp increase in cholera incidence in Kinshasa. Further escalation of the cholera outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo should be averted.

The continued propagation of cholera in Zambia and the rising trend of the disease currently seen in Malawi are concerning. The national authorities in both countries need to work towards halting these trends.