2024-02-17 10:09:00
(Agence Ecofin) – In health news in Africa this week: growing epidemic of mpox in the DRC, fight once morest measles in Nigeria and Senegal, vaccination campaign once morest diphtheria in Chad. In Burkina, we are taking stock of the challenges of treating epilepsy. At the same time, on Mauritius, the rise in dengue cases is raising concerns regarding possible endemicity of the disease.
Epilepsy: treatment challenges in Africa and Burkina
In Burkina Faso, 11 people out of 1000 have been affected by epilepsy since 1993, most of whom do not benefit from adequate treatment. This is what the Burkinabé League once morest Epilepsy shared with the public, which organized an awareness session on Monday February 12, 2024 in Kombissiri (Bazèga province), aimed at educating students of the Kombissiri provincial high school on epilepsy. It was as part of World Epilepsy Day, which is held every second Monday in February. According to Professor Anselme Dalbigou, president of the League, the disease remains stigmatized in Africa, due to supernatural beliefs. With around 9‰, the sub-Saharan region has a prevalence rate twice that of the rest of the world. To this we must add that 2/3 of subjects do not have adequate treatment in Africa.
“A person with epilepsy who does not follow treatment will develop serious forms of epilepsy, including status epilepticus. This condition is dangerous because the seizures do not stop and the patient can die. There are also psychological complications, memory problems”, we indicate. The disease also affects both children and the elderly, being a neurological attack manifested by seizures, requiring a recurrence of seizures spaced at least 24 hours apart to be diagnosed. A variety of manifestations are linked to epilepsy, including generalized tonic-clonic (stiffening and sudden contraction of muscles) which is most common in Burkina Faso. There are a total of 70 million cases of epilepsy worldwide.
Mpox: already more than a thousand cases in the DRC this year
Since the start of 2024, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has recorded 1,134 suspected cases of mpox (or monkeypox), once morest a backdrop of an increase, with 99 deaths, according to the director of the National Program to combat this disease. At a meeting on supporting the national response to cholera and cholera outbreaks, Dr Robert Shungu noted an annual increase in cases. In the country, the most affected provinces include Bas-Uele, Équateur, Kasaï, Kinshasa, Maï-Ndombe and others. Among these cases, children under 15 years old represent 68% of suspected cases, with a predominance among boys, while transmission has become mainly sexual.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is resurging in the Congo. Will anything be different this time? – #mpox #vax #congo #africa https://t.co/7vQCC1TW58
— Martha Young- JD, MBA, N95-clean the air: (@mryoung151) January 24, 2024
For caregivers, the challenges include the centralization of analysis centers, the delay in biological detection and stock shortages of equipment. In terms of prospects, the program plans to update the Mpox Response Plan and improve One Health surveillance. At the same time, the DRC has already recorded 3,414 cases of cholera since the start of the year.
Nigeria: measles peak in Maiduguri
In Nigeria, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is reporting a spike in measles cases, with more than 9,600 measles patients recorded in health facilities and primary care centers supported in Maiduguri. This “massive” influx of patients, particularly towards the end of 2023 (nearly 4,000 patients in the last quarter), surprised those responsible for the humanitarian organization, for whom the situation reflects the persistent challenges in the region, faced with the insecurity linked to the Boko Haram insurgency for more than a decade.
There is a measles outbreak in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Over 7,000 cases were reported in 2023 and medical officials are concerned as the numbers continue to rise this year. We visited the @MSF_WestAfrica managed facility at Gwange III to assess the situation. https://t.co/gKigDBIRsF
— HumAngle_ (@HumAngle_) February 13, 2024
« Despite vaccination efforts, this worrying situation calls for a rapid strengthening of routine vaccination campaigns said Abdulkareem Yakubu, MSF field communications manager, in a statement sent to Premium Times. “ We did not expect such an influx of patients, particularly at the end of the year [2023] “, explained Abdulwahab Mohamed, MSF medical coordinator, in reference to the 3,965 patients treated from October to December, almost 3 times more than for the same period in 2022, we add. As a reminder, measles is one of the most contagious viral diseases in the world. Infecting immune cells, the virus spreads quickly throughout the body and eventually affects the respiratory system.
Chad: vaccination once morest diphtheria in Batha
In central Chad, the Ministry of Public Health launched a vaccination campaign once morest diphtheria, in the Batha region, in collaboration with MSF.
The vaccination campaign comes in response to an epidemic currently raging in the area. Indeed, since June 2023, more than 825 cases of diphtheria and 36 deaths have been recorded in the country.
Chad: intervention once morest a diphtheria epidemic in Batha https://t.co/CyV7aViK3i pic.twitter.com/i5l76ai09g
— Alwihda Info (@alwihdainfo) February 6, 2024
« Diphtheria is a highly contagious infectious disease without rapid treatment, and the risk of death is very high,” explains Dr. Elie Fokzia, Regional Health Delegate for Batha. Vaccination remains the best way to protect once morest diphtheria, but many children still miss routine vaccination and remain vulnerable. The mass operation started on January 29, 2024, aiming to vaccinate around 25,000 people aged 6 months to 40 years in the most at-risk areas of the Batha region. A total of 24,489 people were vaccinated once morest diphtheria, representing 99.74% coverage. In addition to vaccination, MSF carries out awareness and prevention campaigns among the population. Note also that Chad is not the only country in the Sahel zone affected by the return of the disease, there are also neighbors such as Niger and Nigeria, exposed since 2022.
Senegal: vaccination once morest measles in Kaolack
In Senegal, seven cases of measles were detected in Kaolack. The chief medical officer of the health district confirmed this outbreak, stressing that the patients were well treated. To stem the spread of this epidemic, more than 6,000 children were vaccinated during a campaign organized in five health posts in the Kaolack and Kahone districts. This initiative follows a workshop aimed at strengthening media capacity on vaccination topics. Dr Niène Seck, speaking at this workshop, called on parents to respect the vaccination schedule to protect their children once morest diseases.
Mauritius: might Dengue become endemic?
On Mauritius, the increase in cases of dengue fever is raising concerns regarding possible endemicity of the disease. Indeed, with 444 cases recorded since June and 198 cases in Rodrigues, hospitals are facing increasing pressure. According to Dr Vasantrao Gujadhur, former director of public health services, in Mauritius, dengue fever is recorded almost every year but with fewer cases and especially affected regions. “ But this year, we see that several regions of the island are affected. »
⚠ Dengue epidemic currently underway in Mauritius and Rodrigues
✈Travelers, if you go to these islands ⤵️
✅Protect yourself from mosquito bites during your stay and upon your return
✅Consult a doctor immediately if you experience symptoms that may suggest… pic.twitter.com/bG0o4zVRe8— ARS La Réunion (@ARS_LaReunion) February 6, 2024
Health professionals have therefore put themselves on maximum alert, aware of the risks of more intense spread. Subsequently, monitoring and fumigation protocols were put in place, but the situation remains worrying. Remember, however, that in cases of dengue fever, most patients have mild symptoms or no symptoms and recover within one to two weeks. In rare cases, the illness can be serious and lead to death.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
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