This bi-weekly brief details the latest developments in scientific knowledge and public health policy from around the world as well as updates to the COVID-19-related guidance from Africa
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CDC, WHO and other public health agencies.
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This document provides guidance to African Union Member States on key mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) considerations in relation to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. I
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t contains useful guidance on MHPSS for the community, healthcare workers, caregivers of vulnerable populations and people in quarantine, isolation or treatment centers(1)
(2). This guidance aims to provide practical steps to reduce stress, anxiety, stigma and psychological disorders associated with COVID-19 and improve overall mental health and well being. This guidance can be used for planning purposes by policy makers and Ministries of
health and institutions coordinating emergency response to COVID-19 response by Member States. It can also be disseminated to stakeholders.
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This document provides guidance to African Union Member States based on a specific request from Member States for a checklist/guidance of the required personal protective equipment (PPE) needed by healthcare workers
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and care givers for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This document has been synthesised from currently available evidence (1-6), with consideration to the African context, and as such, can be adapted to the country context.
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Article from the CDC Health Alert Network
Because malaria cases are seen relatively rarely in North America, misdiagnosis by clinicians and laboratorians has been a commonly documented problem in published reports. However, malaria may be a common illness in areas where it is transmitted
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and therefore the diagnosis of malaria should routinely be considered for any febrile person who has traveled to an area with known malaria transmission in the past several months preceding symptom onset.
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For over 23 years, CDC has collaborated in Malawi with local and international partners to strengthen health systems. The office works to prevent,
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detect and respond to diseases. Efforts include building healthcare workforce capacity, strengthening laboratory systems, and increasing the capacity of surveillance and health information systems. CDC also implements high-impact HIV and tuberculosis programs through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and supports malaria control activities under the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative.
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The article "Non-communicable diseases, injuries, and mental ill-health in Africa: the role of the Africa Centres
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for Disease Control and Prevention" examines the role of the Africa CDC in addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), injuries, and mental health across the continent. It highlights how Africa CDC, originally focused on communicable disease response, has expanded its mandate to include NCDs and mental health, driven by the high mortality and morbidity associated with these conditions.
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In response to the first cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reported on the continent, many African Union Member States implemented large-scale public health and social measures (PHSM) rap
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idly. These measures were aimed at reducing transmission and the number of new cases being reported, protecting the most vulnerable populations, and allowing time for countries to ramp up critical healthcare and diagnostic services. While these quick actions bought time for Member States, the negative socio-economic impacts are being felt widely, and countries are now exploring how best to ease these measures back while still managing the outbreak.
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Since the emergence of COVID 19 in December 2019, various public health responses measures have been implemented to control the pandemic. Among measures taken by the Africa
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CDC was the launch of PACT initiative to accelerate COVID 19 testing. Key to the initiative is the engagement of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), surveillance activities for early case identification, contacts tracing and in facilitating referrals for testing and continuum of care.
As of 31 May 2021, Through PACT support, over 17154 CHWs have been trained and locally deployed in 24 AU Member states. The PACT supported CHWs visited more than 2,568,654 households for community engagement activities, active case search and contact tracing, identified 1,618,601 Contacts, 710,167 COVID 19 suspect cases based on the standard case definition and facilitated referrals for 553053 (78%) suspect cases for testing. These efforts were crucial for early identification and isolation of cases in limiting further transmission.
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The Government of Liberia (GoL) reports three additional EVD cases linked to the Margibi County cluster, including one in Liberia’s Montserrado County; new confirmed case total reaches six
Recently extended Operation Northern Push strengthens contact tracing
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and EVD prevention activities in Sierra Leone
The Government of Guinea (GoG) and EVD response actors investigate source of infection for EVD-positive nurse in Forécariah Prefecture, the area’s first confirmed case among health care workers since March
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24 September 2021. The vaccine has been authorized by the Chinese National Regulatory Authority (NRA) – the National Medicinal Product Administration (NMPA) – as well as other regulatory authorities. Because WHO has granted Emergency Use Listing (EUL)
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for the COVID-19 Vaccine BIBP/ Sinopharm, the Africa Union and Africa CDC’s Regulatory Taskforce has endorsed the Emergency Use Authorization for the vaccine (see scenario #1) and the specification is 0.5ml/dose, 1 dose/vial; or 2 doses/vial; or 5 doses/vial. As such, African Union Member States are recommended to waive any review processes and rely directly on the WHO EUL via the AVAREF managed pathway described in Scenario #1.
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Emerg Infect Dis. April 2015
Read online at: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/21/4/14-1940_article
Over the span of a few weeks during July and August 2014, events in West
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Africa changed perceptions of Ebola virus disease (EVD) from an exotic tropical disease to a priority for global health security. We describe observations during that time of a field team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and personnel of the Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. The authors outline the early epidemiology of EVD within Liberia, including the practical limitations on surveillance and the effect on the country’s health care system, such as infections among health care workers
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This document provides guidance for African Union Member States on actions to be taken to ensure they continue to meet all the health
needs of their citizens in accordance with achieving the objectives of the
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Africa Health Strategy 2016 – 2030.
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Presentation is current through November 21, 2014 and will be updated every Friday by 5pm. For the most up-to-date information, please visit www.cdc
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.gov/ebola.
*Presentation contains materials from CDC, MSF, and WHO
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This statement aims to provide guidance and recommendation to African Union Member States in responding to the following questions:
What should countries do when announcing identification of a herbal remedy or medicine?
What are the implic
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ations for the rest of the continent?
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