ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA, 19 June 2021. The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Guinea has declared the end of the 2nd Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak on Saturday 19 June 2021, four months after three cases were detected in Gouecke, the epicentre of the outbreak in N’Zérékoré Prefecture. This is the second outbreak in Guinea following the deadly West African EVD outbreak in 2014-2016.
N’Zérékoré prefecture was the epicenter of the 2014 EVD outbreak before it spread across the region. Finding support this case was a resurgence from a survivor of the previous EVD outbreak in the same region. The (2014-2016) EVD outbreak in West Africa was the largest EVD outbreak in history affecting over 3,800, with 2,500 deaths recorded in Guinea alone. The entire West Africa region recorded over 28,600 cases and 11,300 deaths during the outbreak which lasted almost 2 years.
The recent outbreak was mainly reported in N’Zérékoré region, with a total of 23 cases and 12 deaths (case fatality ratio of 52%), including five healthcare workers. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks. The Government had declared the outbreak on 14 February 2021. This outbreak occurred as the country was responding to four other outbreaks including (COVID-19, Yellow fever, Measles, Poliomyelitis) adding pressure to the already overstretched health care systems.
Soon after the outbreak was declared, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) initiated high-level consultation efforts through an official visit led by the Deputy Director of Africa CDC. The delegation met the Ministers of Health of the Republic of Guinea and neighboring member states as well as key stakeholders to strengthen coordination and collaboration in responding to and preparing for the outbreak.
“During my field visit to the region, I witnessed the swift response measures put in place in Guinea, and the preparedness measures across the region in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire were remarkable; the role of local expertise and experience has been tremendous to set up such a rapid response despite other competing multiple disease outbreaks and COVID-19 pandemic in the country,” said Dr Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, Deputy Director of Africa CDC.
The African Union Commission, through the Africa CDC, has thereafter supported the Government of Guinea and neighboring member states with the deployment of technical experts, supplies and equipment for the response, including Thermoscanners, Infection prevention and control supplies and the deployment of 9 active Rapid responders and Community Health workers. Africa CDC in collaboration with the Secretary of State of the United State Government and other partners co-organized a high-level event for resource mobilization for response and preparedness across the region.
“I wish to congratulate the Government of the Republic of Guinea, and to reaffirm our commitment as Africa CDC, that we will continue to work with the Government, and other partners to strengthen local response capacities, cross-border surveillance and information sharing in Guinea and across the region”, Dr John Nkengasong, Director of Africa CDC noted in his reaction to the pronouncement.
Media inquiries:
Wynne Musabayana, Head of Communication, Directorate of Information and Communication; AU Commission | Tel: +251 922 406 157 | Email: MUSABAYANAW@africa-union.org
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Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org I Website: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia.
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