1. Epidemiological Update on Public Health Emergencies WHO Country Office, Liberia 9 March 2018

2. Content Public Health Emergencies 1 2 3 4 Lassa Fever: Nigeria
Rift Valley Fever: South Sudan 3
Meningitis: AFRO Region 4
Cholera: Malawi
Public Health Emergencies

3. Public Health Emergencies (AFRO)
9 Humanitarian Crises
39 Outbreaks 1
Protracted Grade 2 event 2
Protracted Grade 3 events 9
Grade 1 events 2
Grade 3 events 29
Ungraded events 5
Grade 2 events
Source: WHO Health Emergencies AFRO week 9 bulletin on outbreaks and public health emergencies

4. Lassa Fever: Nigeria
Week 8: 54 new confirmed cases, including ten deaths (CFR – 18.5%) were reported from eight states
Between 1 January and 18 February 2018, a total of 1,081 suspected cases and 90 deaths (CFR – 8.3%) have been reported from 18 states
Male to female ratio: 2:1 among confirmed cases
Main Age Group: between 21 and 40 years
Laboratory: 325 cases tested were positive while 8 cases were classified as probable. CFR (confirmed and probable) -23% (72/277).
69% of confirmed cases are from Edo and Ondo States
A total of contacts have been identified and (66.7%) are still under follow up.
Public Health Response
National Lassa fever EOC continues to coordinate response
A national RRT deployed
Dedicated Lassa fever treatment units established and ribavirin is available for treatment
Cross-border collaboration and information sharing between Nigeria and neighbouring Benin.

5. Rift Valley fever: South Sudan
Week 8: one new suspected case was reported
17 year-old male who presented to hospital on 19 February 2018 and died on 21 February 2018.
He reportedly vomited coffee grounds and frank blood, passed melaena stools, and lost consciousness before death.
The deaths of goats and a cow have been reported in the neighbourhood of the case.
As of 24 February 2018: a total of 32 cases and four deaths reported from Yirol East County.
Five confirmed, 3 probable cases, 12 suspected, 12 non-cases
Excluding non-cases, the majority of suspected cases are women (60%; 12/20), and age group years (60%)
PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONS
Coordination of response by a multi-sectoral task force at the national and sub-national (Yirol East) levels.
Surveillance for suspected human and animal cases by community workers
Social mobilization and awareness
Development of multisectoral RVF preparedness and response framework

6. Meningitis: AFRO Region
Week 7: 854 new cases with 36 deaths reported from 16 countries
From week 1 to 7, a cumulative total of 3,813 suspected meningitis cases with 263 deaths have been reported by countries of the belt under enhanced surveillance (CFR 7%).
A total of 1,406 samples have been tested out of 3,813 cumulative suspected cases. (36.9%).
Spn remains the dominant germ with 101/177 (57%) of positive results.
At week 7, one district in Ghana reached the epidemic threshold and eleven others the alert threshold in two countries: Ghana (8) and Nigeria (3)
Ghana: o 1 districts in the Upper West reached the epidemic threshold: Jirapa with an AR of 10.7 and Nadowli Kaleo with an AR of 11.1.
Map of Meningitis main pathogens reported weeks 01 – 07, 2018
Source: WHO IST West Africa Week 7 Meningitis Bulletin

7. Cholera: Malawi
Week 8: a total of 101 new suspected cholera cases including four deaths were reported from five districts,
From 24 November 2017 to 25 February 2018: a total of 642 cases including 13 deaths (case fatality rate 2.0%) were reported.
Thirteen out of 29 (45%) districts in the country have been affected
Of 435 cases with known ages and gender, 70% (305) were aged 15 years and above and 51% (221) were females.
A total of 84 stool samples have been collected and 78 (93%) tested positive for Vibrio cholerae O1 by culture.
PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONS
WASH clusters meet every two weeks to review and coordinate activities and mobilize resources
First round of OCV campaign conducted from February 2018 in Karonga
Active surveillance including household visits ongoing in the affected areas.
A total of health workers have been trained in cholera case management
WHO has donated cholera rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for diagnostics

8. THANK YOU