Outbreak Brief 93: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic
Outbreak Update: Since the last brief (19 October 2021), 2,999,086 new confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, including 50,746 new deaths, have been reported globally. To date, a global total of 243,210,229 COVID-19 cases and 4,941,498 related deaths (case fatality ratio (CFR): 2%) have been reported by 225 countries and territories to the World Health […]
Handbook for Public Health Emergency Operations Center Operations and Management
1. Introduction Public health emergencies arising from public health threats continue to be a major concern in Member States of the WHO African Region. Member States need to have functional public health Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) to fulfill the International Health Regulations (IHR) obligations. EOCs play critical roles in helping Member States prepare for and […]
Quarterly Newsletter of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, December 2020
Ramping up SARS-CoV-2 testing in Africa More than 140 disease outbreaks are detected annually in Africa, in addition to the threats of antimicrobial resistance and the high burden of endemic diseases such as tuberculosis, AIDS and malaria. In January 2020 when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern, surveillance […]
Statement on the Use of Ivermectin for COVID-19
Overview: Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug approved for the treatment of parasitic infections, including strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis in humans. There is a reported increase in the use of ivermectin for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 by the public in African Union Member States. Currently, there is: 1. No scientific evidence from pre-clinical studies on […]
Call to action: Safe Reopening of Borders to Save Lives, Economies and Livelihoods in Africa
A. Introduction During the second joint meeting of African ministers responsible for health, ICT and transport on the rollout of the Africa Against COVID-19: Saving Lives, Economies and Livelihoods campaign, a call was made to African countries to work together towards harmonizing travel entry and exit requirements, and to increase mutual recognition and cross-border information […]
Outbreak Brief 57: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic
Outbreak Update: Since the last brief (9 February 2021), 2,933,430 new confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and 84,107 new deaths have been reported globally. To date, a total of 108,758,490 COVID-19 cases and 2,396,826 related deaths (case fatality rate (CFR): 2.2%) have been reported from 225 countries and territories. The distribution of cumulative cases […]
COVID-19 Scientific and Public Health Policy Update – (16 February 2021)
In addition to our Weekly Outbreak Brief on the spread of COVID-19 and the actions that Africa CDC is taking to help African Union Member States. Africa CDC shares a weekly brief detailing the latest developments in scientific knowledge and public health policy from around the world, as well as updates to the latest guidance […]
Personal Protective Equipment for Different Clinical Settings and Activities
Background: This document provides guidance to African Union Member States based on specific requests from Member States for a checklist/guidance for the required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers and caregivers. This guidance document has been tailored based on currently available evidence (1–6), with consideration to the African context, as such can be adapted […]
Safe Vaccination Administration in the Context of COVID-19 in Africa
Context Immunizations are an essential health service that protect susceptible individuals from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD).1 While committing to sustaining immunization systems, countries should use approaches that respect the principle of do-no-harm and prevent transmission of COVID-19, while providing immunization services. Immunization visits can be used as opportunities to disseminate public health messages that encourage behaviours […]
Home Management, Critical Care and Discharge Criteria for COVID-19 Patients
Overview The continued increase in reported cases of COVID-19 on the African continent threatens to overwhelm our already weak health infrastructure. Therefore, it is important for Member States to take serious and urgent measures towards case management to significantly reduce COVID-19 deaths. In view of the infrastructural and resource gaps, technology should be considered for […]