Day: February 13, 2023

Declaration of ending Sudan Ebola virus disease outbreak in Uganda

On 11 January 2023, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Republic of Uganda declared the end of the Sudan Ebola Virus Disease (SUVD) outbreak that affected nine districts. In accordance with WHO recommendations, the declaration was made 42 days (twice the maximum incubation period for Sudan Virus infections) after the last confirmed case was accorded a safe and dignified burial on 29 November 2022.

Editorial note

Ebola viruses and Marburg are zoonotic pathogens, members of the Filoviridae family, which cause severe, often fatal illness in humans. Ebola virus disease (EVD) first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks. Since then, regular disease outbreaks have been reported in Africa, each affecting a limited number of people. However, the 2014–2016 outbreak in West Africa was the largest and most complex Ebola outbreak ever, with over 11 000 deaths. The outbreak demonstrated that filoviruses represent a very serious public health threat. Sudan virus was first reported in southern Sudan (former Sudan) in June 1976, since then, the virus has emerged periodically, and up to now, seven outbreaks caused by SUDV have been reported, four in Uganda and three in Sudan. Case fatality rates of the Sudan virus have varied from 41% to 100% in past outbreaks.

On 20 September 2022, Uganda declared an outbreak of Ebola disease caused by SUVD, after a case in Mubende district was confirmed by the Uganda Virus Research Institute. In total, 164 cases (142 confirmed, 22 probable) with 77 deaths (55 among confirmed cases and 22 among probable cases) and 87 recovered patients, were reported. A higher proportion of cases occurred among males (59%), while the most affected age group was represented by those aged 20-29 years (31%), followed by those aged 30-39 years (30%). A quarter of cases were reported among children under 10 years old. Overall, 19 confirmed cases with seven deaths occurred among healthcare workers.

Mubende was the epicentre of the outbreak, accounting for 45% of confirmed cases (64 confirmed and 19 probable), followed by Kassanda with 35% of confirmed cases (49 confirmed and 2 probable), Kampala with 13% of confirmed cases (17 confirmed and 1 probable), Wakiso with 3% of confirmed cases (4 confirmed cases), Kyegegwa with 2% of confirmed cases (3 confirmed cases), Jinja with 1% of confirmed cases (2 confirmed cases), and Bunyangabo, Kagadi and Masaka, which reported one confirmed case each (Table). From 20 September to 10 January 2023, a total of 4793 contacts were listed and 11 025 alerts were reported, of which 8088 (73%) were investigated and 7382 (67%) were validated as suspected cases of Ebola disease caused by SUVD. During this period, 1087 safe and dignified burials (SDB) were undertaken (all suspected deaths had to be tested and accorded a SDB), and 6681 samples were tested for Sudan ebolavirus. A total of 314 603 travelers were screened at international points of entry and four suspected cases of SUDV were detected, who all tested negative.

Source: World Health Organization

According to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), during the first six weeks of 2023, 14 incidents involving explosive devices – eight of which occurred in the first half of February alone – were recorded in the western zone of the country (Ouham, Ouham-Pendé, Nana-Mambéré, and Mambéré-Kadei prefectures). These incidents resulted in seven deaths, including five civilians, and five injured, and disrupted humanitarian movements.

In 2022, 53 incidents involving explosive devices – the majority in the west of the country – caused 12 deaths, including nine civilians, and injured 46 people, including 44 civilians.

On 21 January, an armed attack near the Beloko customs office led to the closure of the border with Cameroon. Commercial truck traffic from Cameroon to the Central African Republic was halted until 27 January, affecting the entry of humanitarian goods into the country.

This situation further weakens the protection of civilians as well as access of humanitarian actors to people in need, and risks delaying or causing the suspension of their activities in this region where they plan to assist nearly 940,000 vulnerable people in 2023, particularly in the sectors of food security, nutrition, access to drinking water and protection, including against gender-based violence.

In this context, the presence of security and demining actors remains essential for the protection of civilians and the implementation of humanitarian operations.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Digital technologies could help hydrometeorological services in Africa to deliver services and early warnings more effectively and efficiently to user communities. The World Meteorological Organization is therefore holding a meeting of experts in weather, climate and water services to try to speed the digital transformation.

The Regional Association for Africa conference, organized in collaboration with the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute, takes place this week in Addis Ababa.

“The frequency and intensity of hazards is significant in Africa and the impacts are putting pressure on socioeconomic sectors. The government of Ethiopia, in partnership with the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute (EMI), has established a modernized network for collecting and interpreting meteorological data for early warning services to improve lives and livelihoods,” said Ethiopian State Minister for Water and Energy, H.E. Dr Abraha Adugna.

Africa is highly vulnerable to impacts of climate change and extreme weather. The Greater Horn of Africa is gripped by extreme and prolonged drought, which has destroyed crops, killed livestock and plunged millions into acute food insecurity. Tropical cyclones and deadly floods have also caused many casualties and severe socio-economic losses in countries ranging from Madagascar to Nigeria to South Africa in the past year.

But many people in Africa have no way of knowing that bad weather is heading their way. The digital transformation of the NMHSs will facilitate provision and access to severe weather warnings and alerts.

The President of the Regional Association for Africa, Daouda Konate, said: ‘’It is essential to use innovative solutions to implement initiatives of Early Warning systems in Africa. Without digital transformation, our meteorological services cannot provide adequate early warnings to our people. We must contribute to policies for the implementation of early warnings for Africa,” he said.

One-third of the world’s people, mainly in the least developed countries and small island developing states, are still not covered by early warning systems. In Africa, 60% of people lack coverage. Africa is therefore one of the top priorities to achieve Early Warnings for All in the next five years.

“Digital transformation of the meteorological services in Africa will hasten data transmission speed and increase the ability to create products and services for real-time exchange of information, critical for forecasting and warnings ofhydrometeorological hazards,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.

The objectives of the regional conference are:

To effectively and efficiently use digital technologies to deliver through the full value chain of hydrometeorological services to last mile user communities

To build the requisite knowledge skills to take up digital technologies in hydrometeorological services; To enhance partnerships on infrastructure as well as service delivery capacities in National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs); and

To develop a Regional Association I (Africa) Strategy for digital transformation for the period 2024–2027.

The African Union has developed its digital transformation strategy for Africa (2020-2030) with the vision to have an integrated and inclusive digital society and economy in Africa.

The use of modern digital technology has unexploited potential for the value chain of climate services, including in fields such as data collection, co-design, dissemination, and personalization of services. Much of the technologies to develop these areas are not yet fully utilized, and most of the reported progress is on data production rather than service development and delivery. Digital solutions hold the key to ensuring that climate services can increase resilience in Africa.

To enhance last-mile communication, mobile telephone connectivity is essential. International Telecommunication Union (ITU) data shows that 3G and 4G broadband coverage in Africa lags behind many other regions.

The regional conference will be followed by a full session of Regional Association I (Africa), including a high-level segment with the participation of Ministers responsible for Meteorology in Africa.

Source: World Meteorological Organization