Ebola: WHO urges Africa to strengthen health cooperation
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on 3news
The World Health Organization’s Regional Director for Africa, Mohammed Janabi, is calling on governments to improve early Ebola detection and cooperation between countries. He also highlights the risks faced by infected health workers and calls for stronger infection prevention, training and protective equipment, according to WHO.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Mohammed Janabi, called on African governments to strengthen early Ebola detection, cross-border cooperation and information-sharing. He was speaking on 22 October at a virtual WHO press briefing on the response to the outbreak, 3news reports.
Janabi said that more than 300 health workers had been infected and around 48 had died. He stressed that protecting them through training, protective equipment and infection prevention measures in health facilities was essential to controlling the outbreak.
The official also reported that cholera had caused nearly 165,000 cases and more than 2,500 deaths in Africa since the start of the year, with children the most affected. He called on governments, partners and communities to invest sustainably in health systems and emergency preparedness.
The call comes as several countries are mobilising to respond to Ebola. WHO has warned about the complexity of the outbreak in Nigeria, while Africa CDC convened a summit after the country’s first case was confirmed: WHO’s warning about the outbreak in Nigeria and the summit convened by Africa CDC.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
