Emergencies

Disease outbreaks - news, press releases, features

2018

Influenza: are we ready?

WHO

12 October 2018 - The flu comes around every year, everywhere - and children are among the some of the most vulnerable. We asked children all over the world to illustrate this spotlight on flu.

Risk communication and community engagement preparedness and readiness framework: Ebola response in North Kivu

12 October 2018 - Risk communication in the context of an Ebola outbreak refers to real time exchange of information, opinion and advice between frontline responders and people who are faced with the threat of Ebola.

Getting ready for health emergencies in Africa

AFRO/WHO

4 October 2018 - 51 participants from 33 WHO Country Offices across the African Region recently participated in WHO's Public Health Pre-deployment Training in Brazzaville area.

WHO scaling up response to a cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe

WHO

17 September 2018 - WHO is scaling up its response to an outbreak of cholera in Zimbabwe, which is expanding quickly in Harare, the country’s capital with a population of more than two million people.

Rohingya crisis: One year on

WHO/Mehak Sethi

25 August 2018 - In southern Bangladesh, the coastal town of Cox's Bazar is a well-known honeymoon destination. It is famous for its beach, one of the longest unbroken beaches in the world. But only 16 km from the beach, there is a different reality.

Outbreaks: Behind the headlines

WHO

15 August 2018 - At any one time, dozens of infectious disease outbreaks are happening around the world. Those on the frontlines are often more visible, but behind the scenes, many activities are taking place to control the spread of these diseases.

WHO calls for free and secure access in responding to Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

WHO/N.Alexander

12 August 2018 - While this is the country’s 10th Ebola outbreak, it is the first time that the disease has struck a densely populated active conflict zone.

Ebola vaccination begins in North Kivu

WHO

8 August 2018 - The vaccinations have begun just one week after the announcement of a second outbreak of Ebola this year in the country. A total of 44 cases have been reported so far, of which 17 have been confirmed.

Cluster of presumptive Ebola cases in North Kivu in the DRC

WHO/L.Mackenzie

1 August 2018 - The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced today that preliminary laboratory results indicate a cluster of cases of Ebola virus in North Kivu province.

Ebola outbreak in DRC ends: WHO calls for international efforts to stop other deadly outbreaks in the country

WHO

24 July 2018 - Today marks the end of the 9th outbreak of Ebola in DRC. WHO congratulates the country and all those involved in ending the outbreak, while urging them to extend this success to combatting other diseases in DRC.

After Ebola: A recent survivor starts to rebuild

WHO

12 July 2018 - Since he was a teenager, Didier Ipete wanted to run his own store. However, he contracted Ebola after caring for a friend who had been infected. He was hospitalized at the Ebola Treatment Centre in Bikoro for 15 days, during which he did not see his wife or four children.

WHO and IVI hold Joint Symposium for MERS-CoV Vaccine Development

27 June 2018 - The Joint Symposium brought together more than 120 experts and professionals from industry, academia, international organizations and government agencies around the world on 26-27 June in Seoul.

Ebola response - building trust and engaging with affected communities

WHO/S.Bradd

13 June 2018 - The following resources can be used to guide RCCE work which is central to stopping the outbreak and preventing its further amplification.

At one-month mark in Ebola outbreak, the focus shifts to remote areas

WHO

9 June 2018 - One month into the response to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the focus has moved from urban areas to some of the most remote places on earth.

Ebola treatments approved for compassionate use in current outbreak

WHO/E.Kabambi

6 June 2018 - An ethics committee in DRC approved the use of five investigational therapeutics to treat Ebola, under the framework of compassionate use/expanded access. This is the first time such treatments are available in the midst of an Ebola outbreak.

Ebola vaccine provides protection and hope for high-risk communities

WHO/S.Oka

30 May 2018 - In the past week, the teams have vaccinated more than 420 eligible people in rings around the four cases of Ebola which have been confirmed in Mbandaka. In addition, the vaccine has been offered to health care workers in the area.

WHO supports Ebola vaccination of high risk populations in Democratic Republic of the Congo

WHO

21 May 2018 - The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the support of WHO and partners, is preparing to vaccinate high risk populations against Ebola in affected health zones.

Statement on the 1st meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee regarding the Ebola outbreak in 2018

WHO

18 May 2018 - The Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General under the IHR 2005 regarding the Ebola outbreak in DRC concluded that conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern have not been met.

WHO concerned as one Ebola case confirmed in urban area of Democratic Republic of the Congo

17 May 2018 - One new case of Ebola virus disease has been confirmed in Wangata, one of the three health zones of Mbandaka, a city of nearly 1.2 million people in Equateur Province in northwestern DRC.

New Ebola outbreak declared in Democratic Republic of the Congo

WHO/E.Kabambi

May 2018 - The Government of DRC declared an outbreak of Ebola in Bikoro, Equateur Province on 8 May. WHO is working closely with the Government of DRC to rapidly scale up its operations and mobilize health partners.

Largest cholera vaccine drive in history to target spike in outbreaks

EPA

7 May 2018 - A spate of cholera outbreaks across Africa has prompted the largest cholera vaccination drive in history, with more than two million people across the continent set to receive oral cholera vaccine.

Managing epidemics: Key facts about major deadly diseases

WHO

2 May 2018 - This resource provides concise and up-to-date knowledge on 15 infectious diseases that have the potential to become international threats, and tips on how to respond to each of them.

Raising awareness about listeriosis through social media

WHO

25 April 2018 - From 1 January to 13 April 2018, an ongoing listeriosis outbreak in South Africa has recorded 1011 laboratory-confirmed patients with listeriosis, including 193 deaths. The outbreak has been linked to widely distributed ready-to-eat food products like polony, sausages and cold meat.

Nearly one billion in Africa to be protected against yellow fever by 2026

WHO

10 April 2018 – Nearly one billion people will be vaccinated against yellow fever in 27 high-risk African countries by 2026 with support from WHO, Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and more than 50 health partners.

Donors pledge over US$15 million to WHO's Contingency Fund for Emergencies

WHO

27 March 2018 - Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, the Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland announced contributions ranging from US$20,000 to US$5.6 million at a conference hosted at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

WHO supports 16 African countries to protect against Listeriosis

WHO

20 March 2018 - WHO has reached out to 16 African nations to provide support for preparedness and response to a listeriosis outbreak that started in South Africa in 2017 but is now threatening other countries on the continent. Nearly 200 South Africans have died since January 2017.

On the frontlines of the fight against Lassa fever in Nigeria

WHO

19 March 2018 - The institute of Lassa Fever Control in Irrua is at the epicentre of Nigeria’s response to the country’s worst outbreak of Lassa fever on record. It is located in Edo state, where more than 40% of the 365 confirmed cases have occurred.

Revamp of the plague detection in Madagascar yields quick and sustainable wins

WHO

13 March 2018 - WHO has implemented drastic changes in plague detection in Madagascar that led to rapid decline in severity and scope of the outbreak, until it was declared over in late November 2017. The time between sample collection and laboratory analysis was reduced from days to just a few hours.

Delivering at the country level: vaccine provision and its impact

WHO

9 March 2018 – During the 2016-2017 the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision received a total of 63 requests, of which 54 were approved. More than 50 million doses of vaccines were shipped to 16 countries to respond to health and humanitarian emergencies.

Nigeria battles its largest Lassa fever outbreak on record

WHO AFRO

1 March 2018 – The current Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria shows an increasing trend in the number of cases and deaths in recent weeks with 317 confirmed cases reported in 2018 so far.

Urgent need to scale up health services in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh

WHO SEARO/Owens

20 February 2018 – Six months after the start of the Rohingya refugee crisis, continued efforts are needed to further scale up health services for nearly 1.3 million people in Cox’s Bazar.

WHO scales up to contain Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria

WHO

13 February 2018 – WHO is scaling up its response to an outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria, which has spread to 17 states and may have infected up to 450 people in less than five weeks.

Online learning for clinical management staff of respiratory diphtheria in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh

12 February 2018 - WHO has launched an online course for clinical staff on respiratory diphtheria through the OpenWHO platform. The 4-hour course targets clinicians caring for patients during outbreaks in vulnerable settings.

Weekly bulletin on outbreaks and crises in the WHO African Region

6 February 2018 – The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 55 events in the WHO African Region, including 44 disease outbreaks and 11 humanitarian crises, as of data reported on 2 February.

Nigeria set to vaccinate 25 million people, its biggest yellow fever campaign ever

WHO

24 January 2018 – The Government of Nigeria, with support from WHO and partners, will launch a mass vaccination campaign on 25 January 2018 to prevent the spread of yellow fever.

WHO supports the immunization of 1 million people against cholera in Zambia

WHO/L.Pezzoli

January 2018 – WHO and partners are supporting the Government of Zambia to vaccinate residents of Lusaka against cholera. According to Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya, the immunization campaign will bring the life-saving oral cholera vaccine to the people who need it most.

Half a million children being vaccinated for diphteria in Cox's Bazar

WHO/A. Bhatiasevi

16 January 2018 - As part of an intensified response to the current diphtheria outbreak, WHO, UNICEF and health sector partners are working with the Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to vaccinate more than 475,000 children.

Vaccination recommendations for travelers related to the current situation in Brazil

WHO

16 January 2018 - In addition to the areas listed in previous updates, the entire state of São Paulo should also be considered at risk for yellow fever transmission. Vaccination against yellow fever is recommended for international travellers visiting any area in the state of São Paulo.

Dr Tedros: invest in health to end plague in Madagascar

8 January 2018 – The Director-General of WHO has outlined his vision for a Madagascar free of plague epidemics during a three-day visit to the island nation. Madagascar can make plague epidemics a thing of the past through strategic investments in its health system.

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The ICG was established in 1997, following major outbreaks of meningitis in Africa, as a mechanism to manage and coordinate the provision of emergency vaccine supplies and antibiotics to countries during major outbreaks. Working closely with vaccine producers, through WHO and UNICEF, and following disease trends, the ICG monitors its vaccine security global stock levels for cholera, meningitis and yellow fever to ensure availability of sufficient supply to respond to disease outbreaks when they occur.