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Africa Cdc

All articles tagged with #africa cdc

Uganda Reports Marburg Case as Ebola Outbreak Roars in DRC
health12 days ago

Uganda Reports Marburg Case as Ebola Outbreak Roars in DRC

Africa CDC confirms a Marburg virus disease case in Uganda involving a one-and-a-half-year-old child who died, as the country grapples with the broader Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Official details vary: Africa CDC says no contacts have developed symptoms, Uganda’s health ministry has offered divergent statements, and the WHO says it has been informed of a single case. Media reports of a second case are unconfirmed, while health alerts and ongoing surveillance highlight the region’s public‑health challenge.

DRC Ebola Outbreak Could Surpass All Past Epidemics, Africa CDC Warns
health28 days ago

DRC Ebola Outbreak Could Surpass All Past Epidemics, Africa CDC Warns

DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak could become the deadliest on record, with 837 confirmed cases and 196 deaths; Africa CDC warns it could exceed the West Africa epidemic if not halted soon, as tens of thousands remain untraced and treatment centers are scarce amid community resistance. There is no approved treatment or vaccine yet, and vaccine development could take up to nine months, while funding shortfalls and cross-border cases (including Uganda’s 19) complicate containment.

Birx Warns Delayed Reporting Amplifies Congo Ebola Outbreak, Urges Global Readiness
world1 month ago

Birx Warns Delayed Reporting Amplifies Congo Ebola Outbreak, Urges Global Readiness

Dr. Deborah Birx warns that Congo’s Ebola outbreak may be larger than reported due to weeks of undetected transmission, with current cases likely infected about two weeks earlier. She emphasizes a comprehensive U.S. response (DART teams, USAID, CDC presence in Kinshasa) and the need to strengthen Africa CDC and regional laboratory capacity to detect and contain outbreaks, warning against overreliance on travel bans and noting past reductions in aid. The discussion calls for sustained global investment and better early detection to prevent spillovers to the U.S. or other countries.

Ebola travel ban under fire as experts warn it could undermine outbreak response
global-health1 month ago

Ebola travel ban under fire as experts warn it could undermine outbreak response

Critics argue that a U.S. travel ban on travelers from the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan during the Ebola outbreak could impede response efforts and disrupt humanitarian work; Africa CDC warns that generalized border closures are not a solution and may worsen the outbreak by driving movement to unmonitored routes, while noting there are no vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo strain and urging investment in outbreak control at the source rather than travel bans.

Fresh Ebola outbreak hits Congo’s Ituri region, sparking cross-border fears
health2 months ago

Fresh Ebola outbreak hits Congo’s Ituri region, sparking cross-border fears

Africa CDC has confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in Congo’s Ituri province, with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths, concentrated in Mongwalu and Rwampara and with suspected cases reported in Bunia near the Uganda border. The risk of further spread remains high due to cross-border movement, security disruptions, and mining-related travel. Congo has had 17 Ebola outbreaks since 1976; vaccines exist but logistics and funding challenges have hampered responses in the past. An urgent cross-border coordination meeting with Congo, Uganda, South Sudan and UN partners aims to accelerate surveillance, safe burials, and vaccine delivery.

Ebola spikes in Ituri, DR Congo, with 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases
africa2 months ago

Ebola spikes in Ituri, DR Congo, with 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases

Africa CDC says an Ebola outbreak has emerged in DR Congo’s eastern Ituri province, reporting about 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths (4 of them lab-confirmed) in towns including Mongwalu and Rwampara, with Bunia under investigation. Preliminary tests in Kinshasa detected the virus; officials warn of rapid spread due to urban settings and mining activity, and coordination with Uganda and South Sudan is being planned. The Congolese government has not officially declared an outbreak, while WHO notes there is no proven cure and a roughly 50% fatality rate. This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in DR Congo since 1976.

Africa launches continental genomics advisory group to guide public-health innovation
health2 months ago

Africa launches continental genomics advisory group to guide public-health innovation

Africa CDC unveiled the African Strategic Advisory Group on Genomics (ASAG), an eight-member, independent panel tasked with providing strategic guidance on governance, standards, ethics, data governance, and capacity building for genomics across Africa. The group aims to democratize access to genomics, strengthen outbreak surveillance and precision public health, encourage local manufacturing of countermeasures, and ensure African leadership and equitable benefit-sharing. ASAG’s chair is Prof. Christian Happi and co-chair Prof. Ghada El-Kamah, with Africa CDC retaining decision-making and prioritization while ASAG offers non-binding recommendations to advance Africa Health Security and Sovereignty.

Burundi mystery illness kills five as Africa CDC probes unknown pathogen
health2 months ago

Burundi mystery illness kills five as Africa CDC probes unknown pathogen

An outbreak in Burundi has killed at least five people and sickened 35 since March 30, with a 14% case-fatality rate. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and dark urine; tests for more than 200 pathogens (including Ebola, Marburg, Rift Valley fever, yellow fever, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever) were negative. Authorities are conducting animal testing to assess possible zoonotic transmission, while Burundi's health ministry, with WHO support, coordinates surveillance, clinical care, lab work, and sample shipments to DR Congo for further analysis.

Africa CDC Defends Sovereignty Over US-Backed Infant Vaccine Trial
world5 months ago

Africa CDC Defends Sovereignty Over US-Backed Infant Vaccine Trial

Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya rebuked a US-backed plan to run an infant hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau, insisting any study must be authorized by Guinea-Bissau’s National Medicines Regulatory Authority, National Ethics Committee, local IRBs, and the Ministry of Health, underscoring Africa’s sovereignty. The proposed trial would have enrolled about 14,000 newborns (7,000 vaccinated, 7,000 controls) and was funded with $1.6 million from the US HHS. Critics say such research should serve Africans’ needs and ensure standard care for controls, while the US has criticized Africa CDC as “fake and powerless.” The flare-up exposes tensions between Western funders and African health authorities over governance of research.

Guinea-Bissau halts US-backed hepatitis B vaccine trial amid ethical and sovereignty concerns
world5 months ago

Guinea-Bissau halts US-backed hepatitis B vaccine trial amid ethical and sovereignty concerns

Guinea-Bissau suspended a US-funded, Denmark-led hepatitis B vaccine trial after ethics-review gaps and concerns about consent, with the health ministry citing sovereignty as the deciding factor. The Africa CDC will review the protocol alongside invited US and Danish officials, amid criticism from some experts and a political shift following a coup. The trial design—with 7,000 infants vaccinated at birth and 7,000 withheld for comparison—raised ethical alarms, contrasting with WHO guidance that recommends newborn vaccination within 24 hours and Guinea-Bissau’s current six-week schedule; the outcome will hinge on the ministry’s decision.

HHS Faces Backlash Over Controversial Guinea-Bissau Vaccine Trial and Africa CDC Clash
world5 months ago

HHS Faces Backlash Over Controversial Guinea-Bissau Vaccine Trial and Africa CDC Clash

The article reports that a U.S. HHS-funded hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau—budgeted at $1.6 million and enrolling 14,000 infants, with only half receiving the vaccine—has sparked ethics concerns and comparisons to the Tuskegee study; Africa CDC says the trial is not affiliated with the US CDC and claims it has been halted, while HHS asserts the study will proceed; the affair unfolds amid a broader WHO-Africa CDC collaboration and an anticipated press conference, keeping the situation in flux.

Ethics questions halt US-backed hepatitis B birth-vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau
health6 months ago

Ethics questions halt US-backed hepatitis B birth-vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau

An Africa CDC-backed US-funded birth-dose hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau has been cancelled due to ethical concerns over its design; officials say it will only resume after a redesign to meet ethical norms, with ongoing talks between Guinea-Bissau and the US. Critics argued the trial could deprive thousands of children of vaccination for the sake of a coin-toss allocation, while supporters say it could improve access if properly implemented.