Tag: Public Health Emergency

Crucial Week: Committee to Rule on Whether Mpox Remains a Public Health Emergency

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Sixteen months after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), the Emergency Consultative Group (ECG) is set to meet this week to decide whether the outbreak should be lifted as a PHECS or maintained. This follows months of surveillance and monitoring, with data suggesting the outbreak is steadily declining as countries intensify case detection, treatment services and community outreach in affected hotspots. According to Africa CDC, confirmed cases fell from a peak six-week average…

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#BREAKING: Ethiopia Declares Marburg Virus Outbreak

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Health officials who were initially skeptical about the cause of a suspected haemorrhagic fever reported in Jinka, Southern Region of Ethiopia, have now confirmed that the disease is the Marburg virus. Marburg virus disease (MVD), formerly known as Marburg haemorrhagic fever, is a severe and often fatal illness in humans. The average case fatality rate is around 50 percent, although previous outbreaks have recorded rates ranging from 24 to 88 percent. In a statement, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said the Federal…

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