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WHO Regional Director introduces Surge Team of Experts to South African Government

The Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, on 14 August introduced the first phase of the surge team of WHO health experts, deployed to support South Africa's COVID-19 response management, to a high-level delegation from the government. The experts were welcomed at a reception which included WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus (virtually), South African Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize, Deputy Health Minister Dr Joseph Phaahla and Director-Deneral of health, Dr Sandile Buthelezi as well as the WHO Country Representative Dr Owen Kaluwa and Resident Coordinator of the UN in South Africa, Ms Nardos Bekele-Thomas.

New malaria innovative project shows promise

A promise of lowering malaria infection rate is evident in communities that benefit from phase two of the China-Tanzania Malaria project in Kibiti, Kilwa and Rufiji districts in Coast Region of Tanzania. Malaria is endemic in the three districts in the lower reaches of the Rufiji. More than 269,000 people are direct beneficiaries of the project.

The country office of the World Health Organization is the technical evaluator of the project, which is part of the global High Burden High Impact Initiative to roll back malaria.

Update COVID-19 16 August 2020

16 August 2020 — A hundred and one (101) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 4796 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases to two thousand, four hundred, and fifty-three (2453). To date, one thousand, six hundred and forty-eight (1648) patients have recovered and been discharged, including seventeen (17) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is seven hundred and ninety-seven (797) and eight (8) deaths.

South Sudan strengthens the capacity of health care workers to improve COVID-19 case...

Juba – to establish optimal capacities for effective COVID-19 patients care, the Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) trained over 350 health care workers in the 10 states and 4 prioritized COVID-19 locations in South Sudan.

The training aims to build the capacity of health workers for COVID-19 Case Management and emergency response in the context of COVID-19 and enhance understanding of the heightened risks and provide adequate knowledge and skills on infection prevention and control.  

Update COVID-19 15 August 2020

15 August 2020 — Fifty-nine (59) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 5569 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases to two thousand, three hundred, and fifty-two (2352). To date, one thousand, six hundred and thirty-one (1631) patients have recovered and been discharged, including twenty-seven (27) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is seven hundred and thirteen (713) and eight (8) deaths.

Update COVID-19 14 August 2020

14 August 2020 — Ninety-three (93) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 4610 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases to two thousand, two hundred, and ninety-three (2293). To date, one thousand, six hundred and four (1604) patients have recovered and been discharged, including forty-six (46) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is six hundred and eighty-one (681) and eight (8) deaths.

Heroes from the Namibian COVID health front-line: An epidemiologist’s narrative

With contemporary times calling them disease detectives, epidemiologists play a central role in investigating patterns and causes of disease in humans. “In the context of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), as epidemiologists our focus lies in reducing the risk and occurrence  of negative health outcomes through research, community education and health policy”, says Hilary Kagume Njenge, a Kenyan epidemiologist employed by the World Health Organisation emergency hub for east and southern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya. 

Africa marks six months of COVID-19

Africa marks six months on 14 August since COVID-19 was first detected on the continent. While the virus has raced through many other regions of the world, the pandemic’s evolution on the African continent has been different.

Update COVID-19 13 August 2020

13 August 2020 — Eleven (11) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 4756 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases to two thousand and two hundred (2200). To date, one thousand, five hundred and fifty-eight (1558) patients have recovered and been discharged, including thirty-four (34) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is six hundred and sixty-four (634) and eight (8) deaths.