Goma Hospitals Swamped with Casualties, Food and Water Low as M-23 Rebels Take Over Eastern DRC City

31/01/2025 Elaine Ruth Fletcher

Hospitals in Goma, the city at the epicentre of the M23 rebel advance in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are being flooded with casualties. Health facilities and workers have been targeted in attacks. Humanitarian food stores are being looted. Women are at increased risk of rape, and the safe evacuation of wounded has been […] Continue reading ->

Sierra Leone Reports First Mpox Cases as DRC Accelerates Vaccine Drive

16/01/2025 Paul Adepoju

A new mpox outbreak in Sierra Leone and a rising case toll across Africa are fueling urgent calls for stronger containment efforts, even as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) finally speeds up its mpox vaccine drive and Rwanda’s swift response to Marburg suggests a model for epidemic control. Health authorities in Sierra Leone have […] Continue reading ->

Despite the Offer of Free Mpox Vaccines, Burundi’s Government is Hesitant

28/11/2024 Kerry Cullinan

Despite having the second biggest mpox outbreak in Africa, Burundi has no immediate plans to vaccinate those at risk. Donated vaccine doses are available to Burundi for free but “vaccine hesitancy” might be playing a part in the government’s reluctance to vaccinate people, according to Dr Ngashi Ngongo, mpox lead for the Africa Centres for […] Continue reading ->

Moroccan Mpox Test to be Used in Africa; No Marburg Cases in Rwanda for Two Weeks

14/11/2024 Kerry Cullinan

African countries will soon use a PCR test for mpox developed by Moroccan company Moldiag that is cheaper than the Gene Xpert tests currently being used, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Infection (Africa CDC). “This test was approved after a number of tests were done in the [Democratic Republic of Congo] […] Continue reading ->

US Should Lift Marburg Travel Restrictions, Urges Africa CDC

07/11/2024 Kerry Cullinan

The US should lift its Marburg-related entry restrictions on people travelling from Rwanda as they are “killing” that country’s economy, according to Dr Jean Kaseya. The US requires people who have visited Rwanda in the past 21 days to fly to one of only three airports for health screening. “Now that we are out of […] Continue reading ->

Another Rwandan Health Worker Gets Marburg, While Cases of Children Co-infected with Mpox and Measles Rise

24/10/2024 Kerry Cullinan

Rwanda has recorded its 63rd Marburg case, while cases of children coinfected with both mpox and measles are rising in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to officials at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) weekly media briefing on Thursday. After 10 days of no new cases, a health worker who […] Continue reading ->

Rwanda’s High-Level Critical Care Ensures Low Marburg Fatality Rate

21/10/2024 Kerry Cullinan

After a full week of no new Marburg cases, Rwanda appears to have contained one of the biggest recorded of the deadly virus outbreaks – and with a low case fatality rate of 24%. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who visited the country over the weekend, praised the level of Rwanda’s […] Continue reading ->

Africa CDC Accuses US Government of Creating Panic in Travel Advisory Over Rwanda Marburg Outbreak

10/10/2024 Paul Adepoju

The Africa CDC has slammed the US government’s recent Level 3 travel advisory for Rwanda as unfair and baseless, arguing it undermines Rwanda’s proactive efforts to contain a Marburg outbreak. With rapid testing, vaccinations, and coordinated emergency response measures in place, Rwanda’s leaders insist the country poses no international threat and warn that travel restrictions […] Continue reading ->

Malaria Co-infection Slowed Diagnosis of Marburg in Rwanda

03/10/2024 Kerry Cullinan

The first two people with Marburg also had malaria, which slowed down their diagnosis, Rwandan Health Minister Dr Sabin Nsanzimana told a media briefing on Thursday hosted by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). This follows the revelation that the suspected index case died on 8 September, according to Dr Brian […] Continue reading ->

Marburg Virus Spreads in Rwanda – But Not Belgium

02/10/2024 Kerry Cullinan

Twenty-nine people in Rwanda have been diagnosed with Marburg, the deadly haemorrhagic virus, and 10 have already died, according to the country’s health ministry on Tuesday. This is three more cases and four more deaths since the outbreak was announced last Friday. The Rwandan Ministry of Education suspended visits to students in boarding schools on […] Continue reading ->