Health

On 31 July 2024, the EAC, together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and GIZ, announced the successful conclusion of the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project in the region.
The US$2.5 million WASH project commenced in 2021 with the aim of strengthening the capacities of EAC Partner States to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases using hygiene measures, risk communication, and community sensitization.

The three-year project has achieved remarkable milestones, including the installation and renovation of 43 fixed handwashing facilities at the Points of Entry and border hotspots of all seven Partner States, namely Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and the United Republic of Tanzania. Read more

On August 16, 2024, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published a Rapid Risk Assessment for the EU/EEA regarding the Mpox epidemic caused by monkeypox virus clade I, with no change in risk levels or recommendations. An epidemiological update on August 26, 2024, reported a total of 102,977 confirmed Mpox cases globally since monitoring began in 2022, with 219 deaths. The majority of cases are from Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Africa CDC declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security on August 13, 2024, and the WHO followed by declaring it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on August 14, 2024. The ECDC has issued additional recommendations for Substances of Human Origin (SoHO) professionals, advising careful screening of donors from affected regions and deferral guidelines for those exposed to Mpox.
Read more here

Kenya has confirmed its fifth Mpox case, involving a 29-year-old woman from the VOK area in Mombasa, near Tumaini Academy. Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa announced that the case was identified on Wednesday, and the patient is now in isolation at Utange Hospital.

According to CS Barasa, the patient has no recent travel history and is the spouse of the fourth confirmed Mpox case, who is currently hospitalized in Nakuru. The spouse had traveled to Rwanda and returned on August 24, 2024.

"Despite the lack of recent travel history to Mpox-affected countries, active surveillance of suspected cases is underway to prevent further spread of the disease," CS Barasa stated.

So far, 124 samples have been tested for Mpox, with 110 returning negative results and 9 still under analysis. Additionally, 687,233 travelers have been screened at Kenya’s 26 ports of entry as part of comprehensive containment measures. Currently, 33 contacts are under close observation. See official statement here.

As Mpox cases surge in various African countries, the government has assured the public that all measures are being taken to control the virus if cases will occur in the country. On 19th August, 2024, the Ministry of Health updated the public on the threat of Mpox outbreak following the global upsurge of cases, including in some East African countries. Due to this threat the public was advised to take recommended precautions to protect themselves and prevent the disease from entering the country. "I would like to inform you that, until now, no patient has been proven to have Mpox infection in the country. The Ministry of Health continues to take the following measures to prevent Mpox from entering the country," said the statement signed by Tanzania's Minister for Health.

Full statement here

In August 2024, both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared Mpox a public health emergency, responding to the rapid spread of the disease across Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring countries.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the Mpox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) due to the emergence of a new Mpox strain in the DRC and its spread to countries like Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi. More than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths have been reported in 2024 alone, with experts warning of a potentially higher number of unreported cases. WHO is now mobilizing US$ 15 million for surveillance, vaccine access, and outbreak containment.

Similarly, Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), marking the agency’s first-ever emergency declaration. The move aims to coordinate and support African nations in curbing the virus by boosting surveillance, laboratory testing, and equitable vaccine distribution. Africa CDC's partnership with the European Commission and Bavarian Nordic will bring over 215,000 doses of the MVA-BN® vaccine to affected countries.

Both organizations stress the importance of a unified global response, with Africa CDC calling for international solidarity to prevent further escalation of the crisis. Read more WHO and Africa CDC.

Since January 1, 2024, 13 African countries have reported outbreaks of Mpox, with a total of 18,737 cases and 541 deaths. The affected countries include Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda (Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024).

On August 15, 2024, Sweden confirmed its first case of Mpox clade I. This marks the first confirmed case of clade I Mpox outside Africa. The patient is receiving proper care in accordance with health guidelines (CNN, 2024).

Read more on this link  

To strengthen and accelerate the response to the ongoing Mpox outbreak, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a joint continental response plan on September 6, 2024. This plan aims to support countries in curbing the virus's spread and protecting lives. The Mpox Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan follows the declarations of a public health emergency of continental security (PHECS) by Africa CDC on August 13, 2024, and a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by WHO on August 14, 2024.

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Kinshasa, 5 September 2024 – The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are pleased to announce the arrival of the first shipment of 99,100 doses of JYNNEOS mpox vaccine. This shipment is expected to launch a critical vaccination campaign aimed at curbing the rising epidemic in the Democtratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The vaccine doses were officially received by the Minister of Health of the Democtratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Samuel Roger Kamba, alongside H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, the Director General of Africa CDC, the UNICEF Representative in DRC, Grant Leaity, and the Director General of Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), Laurent Muschel. Read more.

On July 24, 2024, Uganda identified its first confirmed Mpox cases at Bwera Hospital in Kasese District, detected by the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) through routine surveillance. The initial report involved two patients out of six exhibiting Mpox-like symptoms.

Since then, six more cases have emerged across four districts: Mayuge (2), Kampala (2), Wakiso (1), and Kasese (1), bringing the total number of confirmed cases outside the index district to seven.

As of September 3, 2024, Uganda has been addressing the Mpox outbreak for 42 days. There have been no new confirmed cases or deaths in the past 24 hours, and the Case Fatality Ratio remains at 0.0% with no deaths reported. No recoveries have been recorded.

Currently, 21 active contacts are under monitoring, with follow-ups in Kampala completed. There are no confirmed Mpox cases among healthcare workers.

Health authorities continue to work to manage and contain the outbreak.

Read full report here.

The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat has called on EAC Partner States to educate their citizens on protecting themselves and preventing the spread of Mpox. This follows reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) that Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are experiencing an outbreak of the viral Mpox disease. Read more