In the on-going battle against the yellow fever outbreak in Angola and
the Democratic Republic Of The Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization says
although it is currently not a public health emergency of international
concern, it however remains a very serious issue.
According to the W.H.O, About 6,000 people in Angola and Democratic
Republic of Congo may be infected with yellow fever, six times the number of
confirmed cases, but no new infections have been found since July 12; what the
organisation describes as an “extremely positive” trend.
However, it was said that the looming rainy
season has raised fears of further spread of the worst outbreak in decades of
the mosquito-borne hemorrhagic virus.
The outbreak which has killed roughly 400
people since December, now appears to have improved.
With the vaccination of about 7.7 million
people this month, in a major campaign in the “high-risk” Congo capital of
Kinshasa, along with 1.5 million in other parts of the country, the situation
seems to be under control.
Campaigns have depleted the global stockpile of six million
yellow fever vaccine doses twice this year already, which the W.H.O says is
unprecedented.
