LUSAKA, Zambia
Africa’s continental health body raised the alarm Thursday about a measles outbreak in war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that is mostly affecting the provinces of North and South Kivu.
The Central African nation has recorded 12,000 cases and 180 deaths, with most affecting the eastern region where a deteriorating security and humanitarian situation has exacerbated the situation.
“If our regional leaders can guarantee our safety, I will be the first one to fly to that region, to deliver medicines and vaccines to those that are in need,” Jean Kaseya, Africa CDC director-general said at a virtual news conference. “We are equally worried about our testing capacity for mpox in Kivu because we have only managed an 18% testing rate due to the conflict.
He also raised the alarm about a cholera outbreak in South Sudan where nearly 800 deaths have been registered from 1 million cases.
“Vaccination has also been a problem in South Sudan because of the prevailing security situation,” he added.
On foreign health care financing to Africa, Kaseya said he met two advisors to US President Donald Trump days ago in the US that assured him of continued support to critical pillars of public health.
“It is not only the US which has cut aid to Africa for health care, we are talking of about 12 countries which have done so — reducing the support from $81 billion to now only about $25 billion,” he said. “In response, we have put in place a concept paper on addressing health care financing challenges in Africa anchored through domestic resource mobilization and innovative financing mechanisms. I have personally spoken to our African philanthropists … to buy into and support this concept,” Kaseya added.
