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Health Updates

Health Updates Cholera, Africa: The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is calling for emergency funding to broaden efforts to reach millions living across 11 eastern and southern African countries which have been hit hard by fast‐spreading cholera outbreaks.Calling for $171m in funds to support 28m people suffering in the region, UNICEF said tailored responses are already reaching many impacted, but more must urgently be done.The agency said the worst cholera outbreaks to hit the region in years, are now unfolding in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.As such, UNICEF is developing individualised cholera response plans based on the unique conditions within each affected country. For instance, budgets for both Malawi and Mozambique include requirements to address each country's recent flooding following the devasting effects of cyclone Freddy which has fuelled the spread of the acute often water‐borne disease.Cholera outbreaks are exacerbated by poverty, disasters, conflict, and climate change consequences, like extreme storms and flooding, as well as a lack of access to safe water and sanitation, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. (PANA 29/3) see report at: https://www.unicef.org/esa/reports/cholera‐outbreak‐eastern‐and‐southern‐africa#:~:text=Eleven%20countries%20in%20the%20region,%2C%20Zimbabwe%2C%20and%20South%20AfricaMalaria, Ghana: Ghana is the first country to approve a new malaria vaccine that has been described as a “world‐changer” by the scientists who developed it. The vaccine – called R21 – appears to be very effective.The World Health Organisation (WHO) is also considering approving the vaccine.Malaria kills about 620,000 people each year, and most of the victims are young children.Trial data from preliminary studies in Burkina Faso revealed the R21 vaccine was up to 80% effective when given in three initial doses, and a booster a year later.But widespread use of the vaccine hinges on the results of a larger trial involving nearly 5,000 children.These had been expected to take place at the end of 2022 but have still not been officially published. Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority, which has seen the data, has approved the vaccine's use in children aged between five months to three years old.Prof Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, where the vaccine was invented said, “We expect R21 to make a major impact on malaria mortality in children in the coming years, and in the longer term [it] will contribute to the overall final goal of malaria eradication and elimination.”The Serum Institute of India is preparing to produce between 100‐200m doses per year, with a vaccine factory being constructed in Accra, Ghana. (Vanguard, Abuja 12/4)On April 17th, Nigeria became the second country to approve the R21 malaria vaccine. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (Nafdac) said the vaccine will be given to children aged between five months and three years.Nafdac director general Mojisola Adeyeye said Nigeria hopes to get at least 100,000 doses of the vaccine in donations soon.According to WHO figures, 27% of global malaria cases and 32% of global deaths occur in Nigeria. (Premium Times 17/4) http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Africa Research Bulletin Political Social and Cultural Series Wiley

Health Updates

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Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
ISSN
0001-9844
eISSN
1467-825X
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-825x.2023.11052.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Cholera, Africa: The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is calling for emergency funding to broaden efforts to reach millions living across 11 eastern and southern African countries which have been hit hard by fast‐spreading cholera outbreaks.Calling for $171m in funds to support 28m people suffering in the region, UNICEF said tailored responses are already reaching many impacted, but more must urgently be done.The agency said the worst cholera outbreaks to hit the region in years, are now unfolding in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.As such, UNICEF is developing individualised cholera response plans based on the unique conditions within each affected country. For instance, budgets for both Malawi and Mozambique include requirements to address each country's recent flooding following the devasting effects of cyclone Freddy which has fuelled the spread of the acute often water‐borne disease.Cholera outbreaks are exacerbated by poverty, disasters, conflict, and climate change consequences, like extreme storms and flooding, as well as a lack of access to safe water and sanitation, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. (PANA 29/3) see report at: https://www.unicef.org/esa/reports/cholera‐outbreak‐eastern‐and‐southern‐africa#:~:text=Eleven%20countries%20in%20the%20region,%2C%20Zimbabwe%2C%20and%20South%20AfricaMalaria, Ghana: Ghana is the first country to approve a new malaria vaccine that has been described as a “world‐changer” by the scientists who developed it. The vaccine – called R21 – appears to be very effective.The World Health Organisation (WHO) is also considering approving the vaccine.Malaria kills about 620,000 people each year, and most of the victims are young children.Trial data from preliminary studies in Burkina Faso revealed the R21 vaccine was up to 80% effective when given in three initial doses, and a booster a year later.But widespread use of the vaccine hinges on the results of a larger trial involving nearly 5,000 children.These had been expected to take place at the end of 2022 but have still not been officially published. Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority, which has seen the data, has approved the vaccine's use in children aged between five months to three years old.Prof Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, where the vaccine was invented said, “We expect R21 to make a major impact on malaria mortality in children in the coming years, and in the longer term [it] will contribute to the overall final goal of malaria eradication and elimination.”The Serum Institute of India is preparing to produce between 100‐200m doses per year, with a vaccine factory being constructed in Accra, Ghana. (Vanguard, Abuja 12/4)On April 17th, Nigeria became the second country to approve the R21 malaria vaccine. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (Nafdac) said the vaccine will be given to children aged between five months and three years.Nafdac director general Mojisola Adeyeye said Nigeria hopes to get at least 100,000 doses of the vaccine in donations soon.According to WHO figures, 27% of global malaria cases and 32% of global deaths occur in Nigeria. (Premium Times 17/4)

Journal

Africa Research Bulletin Political Social and Cultural Series – Wiley

Published: May 1, 2023

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