Day: September 8, 2022

In the first months of 2022, cyclonic activity in the South-West Indian Ocean intensified, with severe tropical weather systems killing at least 890 people and affecting over 2.8 million people across Southern Africa. In January,

Tropical Storm Ana affected more than 1.3 million people and caused 171 deaths in Madagascar (131,000 people), Mozambique (185,000 people), Malawi (1 million people) and Zimbabwe (4,000 people). In February, Tropical Cyclones Batsirai and Emnati affected 423,800 people and killed 136 in Madagascar, while Tropical Storm Dumako affected more than 33,700 people and caused 14 deaths in Madagascar (nearly 10,000 people, including 14 dead) and Mozambique (23,700 people). In March, the Tropical Cyclone Gombe weather system impacted nearly 900,000 people and killed 103 in Mozambique (736,000 people, including 63 dead) and Malawi (159,000 people, including 39 dead). In April moderate Tropical Storm Jasmine affected nearly 5,000 people in southern Madagascar, while torrential rains led to flooding and mudslides that impacted more than 123,800 people and killed 448 in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape in South Africa in April and May.

Heavy rains and floods contributed to outbreaks of communicable and water-borne diseases, and heightened food insecurity and malnutrition. Cholera outbreaks were reported in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia, while an increase in malaria was reported in Mozambique and Madagascar, and measles was recorded in Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. In addition, health authorities in Malawi and Mozambique declared outbreaks of wild polio. In the Grand Sud-Est of Madagascar, Crisis levels of food insecurity (IPC phase 3) were projected in five districts, where food insecurity does not ordinarily rise above the Stressed (IPC phase 2) level. In Malawi, many families lost their food stocks when their homes were destroyed or flooded by the tropical storms and about 52,000 people remained displaced by the end of April.

Meanwhile, severe drought persisted in southern Angola and the Grand Sud of Madagascar, while conflict in northern Mozambique continued to drive humanitarian needs. In southern Angola, about 1.58 million people were acutely food insecure and around 114,000 children under age 5 were projected to require treatment for acute malnutrition between October 2021 and March 2022. In the Grand Sud of Madagascar, despite improvements—largely due to the significant scale-up in humanitarian assistance 7 out of 10 districts remained in Crisis (IPC phase 3) food insecurity and nearly 24 communes had emergency acute malnutrition rates. Meanwhile, in Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique, at least 1.5 million people—including 945,000 internally displaced—were in need of humanitarian assistance, and attacks shifted southward to districts previously not affected.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

With the COVID-19 pandemic delaying meningitis vaccination campaigns for more than 50 million children in Africa, the region is at a heightened risk of outbreaks of meningitis type A, the UN health agency said on Thursday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners have launched a roadmap to stop by 2030, bacterial meningitis outbreaks on the continent.

In a race against time, African countries are being urged to rapidly implement the plan before the start of the meningitis season in January, which runs until June.

“More than 400 million Africans are still at risk of seasonal meningitis outbreaks, but the disease has remained off the radar for too long,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa

Meningitis is caused by inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Acute bacterial meningitis can cause death within 24 hours and leaves one in five survivors with lifelong disability.

African success story

Historically, type A was the highest meningitis outbreak in Africa.

However, in 2010 the effective MenAfriVac vaccine was developed and deployed throughout the continent.

With WHO and partners’ support, more than 350 million people in 24 high-risk African countries have to date, received the MenAfriVac vaccine.

While meningitis type A accounted for 90 per cent of cases and deaths before 2010, no new cases have been reported since 2017.

Controlling that lethal form of meningitis has led to fewer meningitis type A deaths and while half of meningitis-affected people died in 2004, in 2021, 95 per cent of cases survived.

“The defeat of meningitis type A is of one of Africa’s biggest success stories in health, but the fallout from COVID-19 hampers our drive to eliminate this bacterial infection as a public health threat once and for all, and could lead to catastrophic resurgences,” said Dr. Moeti.

Trending backwards

The pandemic severely disrupted meningitis prevention and control services, with disease surveillance, laboratory confirmation of cases and outbreak investigations all steeply declining.

Based on country reports, WHO found that meningitis control activities were reduced by 50 per cent in 2020 compared with 2019, with a slight improvement in last year.

While no meningitis type A case has been reported in Africa over the past five years, outbreaks still occur and are caused by other types of meningococcal bacteria.

In 2019, 140,552 Africans died from all types of meningitis, with major outbreaks of meningitis type C recorded in seven so-called “meningitis belt countries” since 2013.

And last year, a four-month outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo claimed 205 lives.

Moreover, Africa is the only region to still experience outbreaks and accounts for the highest number of new meningitis cases globally – reporting 100 cases per 100,000 people.

“Aside from the toll on human life, outbreaks negatively impact health systems, our fragile economies, and impoverish entire populations forced to contend with multiple health and socio-economic challenges,” lamented Dr Moeti.

Fighting back

In an ambitious bid to defeat bacterial meningitis in Africa by 2030, the new regional strategy sets out a roadmap for countries to shore up diagnosis, surveillance, care, advocacy and vaccination to eliminate outbreaks, curb deaths by 70 per cent and halve infections.

WHO estimates that $1.5 billion will be required between now and 2030 to implement the plan, which if fully adopted will save more than 140,000 lives every year in the region and significantly reduce disability.

“In prioritizing the response to COVID-19, we must not lose our focus on other health problems,” underscored the senior WHO official, urging countries to “ramp up implementation of the new WHO regional roadmap now”.

Source: United Nations

The United States mourned the death of Britain's longest-serving monarch Thursday, as presidents and politicians acknowledged the singular life and achievements of Queen Elizabeth II.

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era. In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons," President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden said in a statement Thursday.

The Bidens visited the British Embassy in Washington on Thursday evening, where they both signed the condolence book.

"We mourn for all of you," the president told embassy staff. "She was a great lady. I'm so delighted I got to meet her."

Buckingham Palace announced Thursday afternoon that the 96-year-old monarch had passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She was succeeded by her eldest son, Charles, now king.

Former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, also remembered the queen in a statement Thursday.

"Like so many, Michelle and I are grateful to have witnessed Her Majesty's dedicated leadership, and we are awed by her legacy of tireless, dignified public service," they said.

Former President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, also released a statement.

"What a grand and beautiful lady she was — there was nobody like her!" it read.

During the queen's 70-year reign, she worked with 14 U.S. presidents, starting with Harry S. Truman. She was welcomed in the United States on official visits multiple times, including a visit in 1976 to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial; in 1991. when she addressed a joint session of Congress; and in 2007, when she visited Virginia to mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. It was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.

"Queen Elizabeth offered a master class in grace and strength, power and poise. Her extraordinary life and leadership will continue to inspire young women and girls in public service, now and for generations to come," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.

"Personally, it was an honor to be on the floor of the House during her historic address to the Congress in 1991 and to welcome her as speaker on her important visit to the United States in 2007, which deepened the special relationship between our nations," Pelosi added.

Resolution planned

The House of Representatives will pass a bereavement resolution honoring the queen next Tuesday. Pelosi ordered that flags over the U.S. Capitol be flown at half-staff for the monarch's passing.

"For 70 long years, from the aftermath of World War II well into the 21st century, across 15 different prime ministers, through great triumphs and great challenges, the queen's steady leadership safeguarded the land she loved. Despite spending nearly three-quarters of a century as one of the most famous and admired individuals on the planet, the queen made sure her reign was never really about herself," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement.

"The queen embodied the essence of British leadership for over seven decades and leaves a proud legacy of service to her people and of steadfast friendship and respect for the United States," Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez said in a statement Thursday.

Many members of Congress had personally met the queen and remembered her fondly in statements on Thursday.

"I remember well her visit to San Francisco in 1983 when I was mayor," said Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein. "I spent time with the queen at the Davies Symphony Hall and found her to be gracious and kind, a wonderful representative of her nation. Queen Elizabeth will be fondly remembered and missed by many, and my thoughts are with her family and the people of the U.K."

The queen's work on a global scale was also applauded in New York at the United Nations.

"Queen Elizabeth II was widely admired for her grace, dignity and dedication around the world. She was a reassuring presence throughout decades of sweeping change, including the decolonization of Africa and Asia and the evolution of the Commonwealth," Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, said in a statement.

"Queen Elizabeth II was a good friend of the United Nations, and visited our New York Headquarters twice, more than fifty years apart. She was deeply committed to many charitable and environmental causes and spoke movingly to delegates at the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow."

Source: Voice of America