Vaccine shipments to Africa have picked up with the COVAX Facility delivering almost 10 million doses to Africa so far in August, that is nine times what was delivered in the same period in July. The African Union has so far delivered 1.5 million doses to nine countries. Since June, the number of doses administered per 100 people in sub-Saharan Africa has almost tripled form 1.2 per 100 people to 3.4 per 100 people.
“While COVID-19 vaccine shipments seem to be taking off, Africa is encountering headwinds. Moves by some countries globally to introduce booster shots threaten the promise of a brighter tomorrow for Africa. As some richer countries hoard vaccines, they make a mockery of vaccine equity,” said Dr Moeti.
Ebola outbreak
Cote d’Ivoire declared an outbreak of Ebola on 14 August—the country’s first since 1994—in the commercial capital of Abidjan, home to nearly 5 million people. As of 18 August, there was one confirmed case and three suspected cases that later tested negative. Six high-risk contacts have been quarantined and 131 contacts listed. No deaths have been reported.
The confirmed case is currently hospitalized in Abidjan. She is a Guinean national and travelled to Cote d’Ivoire from a rural community in Guinea. Investigations are ongoing into the source of the outbreak.
WHO has deployed expert teams to Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea to support the national authorities rapidly scale up measures including infection prevention and control, diagnostics, contact tracing, case management, community mobilization and cross-border surveillance to contain the latest hemorrhagic fever outbreaks. Cote d’Ivoire has started to vaccinate contacts, contacts of contacts and health workers.
Guinea is collaborating with Cote d’Ivoire on the investigation into the outbreak. As of 18 August, 49 contacts have been listed in Guinea and health authorities are preparing to vaccinate high-risk contacts.
“These new outbreaks are a clear reminder that other health emergencies are not taking a back seat just because we are busy battling a global pandemic. We must remain alert and quick to respond so that other dangerous diseases are denied the chance to spread and cause further devastation,” said Dr Moeti.
Marburg outbreak
On 9 August, Guinea detected a case of Marburg virus disease—which is in the same family as Ebola. No new cases have since been recorded. A total of 173 contacts have been identified.
The Marburg virus, the first such outbreak in West Africa, was detected in a locality in southern Guinea close to the border with Liberia and Sierra Leone. It is also the same region where cases of the 2021 Ebola outbreak in Guinea as well as the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak were initially confirmed.
Dr Moeti spoke during a virtual press conference today facilitated by APO Group. She was joined by Hon Mr Pierre N’Gou Dimba, Cote d’Ivoire Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage, and Hon Dr Rémy Lamah, Minister of Health, Guinea.
Also on hand to answer questions were Dr Jean-marie Vianny Yameogo, WHO Representative in Cote d’Ivoire, Dr Georges Ki-Zerbo, WHO Representative in Guinea, as well as Dr Phionah Atuhebwe, New Vaccines Introduction Officer, WHO Regional Office for Africa, and Dr Gilson Paluku, Routine Immunization and New Vaccines Introduction Officer, WHO Regional Office for Africa.