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WEST AFRICA: Health update: HIV/AIDS, Ebola, Meningitis
Togo's Red Cross association launched a two-year project against the spread of
HIV/AIDS this week, as part of a continent-wide health initiative by the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The HIV/AIDS initiative includes an education and sensitisation campaign
targeting those aged above 15, considered to be at most risk. The aims of the
project include teaming up with religious, community and youth leaders to
encourage the adoption of safe sex behavior, including use of condoms.
Meanwhile, in Gabon, the Ebola haemorrhagic fever outbreak has been officially
declared over, WHO reported the Ministry of Health as saying on 6 May. The last
notified case died on 19 March and no further cases had been reported for a
period equivalent to twice the maximum incubation period for Ebola, it added.
WHO did not mention the status of the outbreak in Republic of Congo.
The outbreak began in December 2001 and has mainly affected the Mekambo area,
600 km east of Gabon's capital, Libreville, and districts across the border in
neighbouring Republic of Congo. On 10 April, 53 deaths had been reported by the
Gabonese Ministry of Health. In Republic of Congo, as at 29 March, 43 deaths
were reported in Mbomo district and Kelle district.
Ebola is a haemorrhagic fever transmitted through direct contact with body
fluids of infected persons or other primates. There is no cure and between 50
percent and 90 percent of victims die.
Meanwhile in the Sahel countries of Burkina Faso and Niger, latest figures
indicate that the meningitis epidemic was slowing down.
Burkina Faso recorded 1,368 deaths from meningitis out of 11,899 cases as at 28
April, with a weekly case-fatality rate that indicated a downward trend in the
epidemic, WHO reported on Monday. Meningitis in Burkina Faso was first reported
in January in the eastern district of Diapaga but, since then, the Ministry of
Health has reported cases in all of the country's 53 districts.
In Niger, 3,518 cases including 308 deaths were reported as at 21 April,
particularly in the southern districts of Matamey (Zinder), Dakaro and
Guidan-Roumdji where cases were still being reported, WHO said.
The two countries are among the West African countries located in Africa's
meningitis belt that comprises about 15 countries south of the Sahara where
outbreaks of the disease occur each year.
This Item is Delivered to the "Africa-English" Service of the UN's
IRIN
humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations. Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs 2002
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