Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Mimi Mefo Info
Published on 2024-04-16 14:46:27
The first confirmed case, in the city of Douala, died in the health district of Cité des Palmiers. The other confirmed case is still alive in the city of Bamenda, in the North-West region.
Two cases of Monkeypox Virus have just been detected in Cameroon, while the virus is currently spreading in Central Africa. According to the Center for Coordination of Public Health Emergency Operations (Ccousp), the first confirmed case, in the city of Douala, died in the health district of Cité des Palmiers. The other confirmed case is still alive in the city of Bamenda, in the North-West region. In general, in Cameroon, statistics show 11 suspected cases and two confirmed cases.
According to the Center for Coordination of Public Health Emergency Operations (Ccousp), which recently released these figures, the epidemiological situation of Monkeypox is under control across the national triangle. Cameroon conducts ongoing risk assessment that takes into account the likelihood of cases occurring starting with monitoring air communication routes.
It is suspected that these cases may have been imported from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, which has been affected by a wave of Monkeypox cases. According to the data, between February 2023 and February 2024, over 19,000 cases and nearly 1,000 deaths were recorded in the DRC, with over 70% of cases and over 88% of deaths involving children under 15 years old.
Experts are concerned about the potential sexual transmission of Monkeypox. “It is becoming more concerning now that we are observing this sexual transmission of Monkeypox, especially in the eastern part of the country. We want a coordinated response to this situation,” emphasized Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Africa).
To address the increasing spread of the virus, a forum titled “High-Level Emergency Regional Meeting on Monkeypox in Africa” was held in Kinshasa from Thursday, April 11 to Saturday, April 13. The objective was to share experiences and develop common strategies to prevent and effectively respond to Monkeypox in Africa.
The themes discussed by the 12 participating countries revolved around mechanisms for coordinating national and regional emergency interventions, strengthening epidemiological surveillance capacities at the national and border levels, as well as in laboratories for Monkeypox, regulations, funding and investment in the production of vaccines and treatments against Monkeypox in Africa, and finally how to promote partnerships to combat Monkeypox on the African continent. In response, CDC Africa prioritizes vaccination and the use of antivirals.
Read the original article(French) on Mimi Mefo Info
