Image: Strategic planning workshop for EYE Strategy implementation, Niger (August 2022) -Mrs. Diogop Camara, Institut Pasteur De Dakar (IP Dakar) Regional Reference Laboratory (RRL) running the 1st test observed by the local team

August EYE Strategy Newsletter 

Save the date: EYE Annual Partners' Meeting 2022 

We look forward to seeing you again this year at our Annual Partners' Meeting. If you haven't received a calendar invite, please email Rakhee Verma at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to be added to the invitee list. Please mark the dates in your diaries. Registration details to follow.

Yellow fever (YF) Disease Outbreak News (DON) – East, West and Central Africa 

From 1st January 2021 to 26th August 2022, a total of 12 countries in the region have reported 184 confirmed cases and 274 probable cases of YF, including 21 deaths, reflecting ongoing complex viral transmission.  

Risk factors for onward spread and amplification include low population immunity, population movements, viral transmission dynamics, and climate and ecological factors that have contributed to the spread of Aedes mosquitoes. Response measures, most notably reactive and preventive vaccination campaigns, are ongoing in the affected countries.

Since the beginning of 2021, over 3.9 million people have been vaccinated through reactive vaccination campaigns (RVCs) in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Ghana, and Kenya. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a full report describing the current outbreaks and public response on 2nd September 2022. To read the DON in full, please click here.

More specific updates from individual countries are below. 

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Epidemiological Alert: Yellow Fever - 31 August 2022 

PAHO has published an epidemiological alert on yellow fever. It can be read in full here.

Extract

In the Region of the Americas, the risk of new YF outbreaks of varying magnitudes is high. Although health systems have begun to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, an alarming decrease has been observed in the proportion of the population vaccinated against YF and, consequently, an increase in the gap in immunizations has accumulated over the last decade. The COVID-19 pandemic, among other factors, has led to vaccination activities that were previously routinely carried out becoming a challenge.  

According to estimates by the WHO and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), between 2020 and 2021, vaccination coverage for YF decreased in 6 of the 13 countries and territories with YF endemic areas. In 2021, YF vaccination coverage equal to or greater than 95% was not achieved in 12 of the 13 endemic countries/territories, and it was less than 80% and in 9 countries. 

Due to the aforementioned, it is urgent that health authorities ensure they have a strategic reserve inventory that allows them to maintain routine vaccination and at the same time respond to eventual outbreaks. In addition, it is necessary that the countries that have scheduled preventive vaccination campaigns (PMVCs) for increasing coverage resume their plans and guarantee vaccination coverage greater than or equal to 95% in a homogeneous manner. 

Country updates 

Reactive vaccination campaigns (RVCs) 

All RVCs are approved by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision (ICG) with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. 

Central African Republic (CAR)

CAR has been experiencing a YF outbreak since late 2021, with a total of 20 confirmed cases. The date of onset of the most recent confirmed case is 14th March 2022. (There are several delays to recent laboratory results).

The country was approved by the ICG for a response in March 2022 which would protect approximately 475,000 people in three districts: Batangafo-Kabo, Haut Mbombou and Nangha-Boguila.

As part of the outbreak response, a first YF RVC was launched on 13^th July 2022 and is ongoing. After delays due to logistical and security constraints, vaccines were delivered in Haut Mbomou on 2^nd September, with implementation that started on the 15th September and completed on the 20th September 2022.  

Subsequently, there were additional confirmed cases reported in Bambari and Kembe Satema. This led to a second request, approved by the ICG on 25th July for response in these two additional districts, which is aiming to protect around 345,000 people. Dates of implementation are yet to be confirmed. 

Kenya  

Kenya launched its YF RVC in Isiolo and Garissa counties on 23rd July 2022. The campaign has strengthened its door-to-door efforts to target and protect a larger percentage of the population. This activity aims to protect more than 700,000 people in six sub-counties of Isiolo and Garissa.

Preventive mass vaccination campaigns (PMVCs) 

Republic of the Congo 

© Gavi/2008/Olivier Asselin 

As reported last month, the Republic of the Congo launched its PMVC to vaccinate more than 4 million people against YF. This nationwide campaign has been integrated with measles and rubella vaccinations and will cover all departments except Pointe Noire (since it was already protected through an RVC in 2018).   

To support the PMVC, 1900 social mobilizers and 807 town criers were mobilized, and a motorized sensitization caravan covered all the districts in the 12 departments. Journalists, bloggers, and religious leaders were also briefed on communication messages to strengthen the community’s engagement. 3 TV stations and 5 radio channels broadcasted awareness programmes, and a rumour-management committee was also established. 

To read the full press release by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, click here for English, and click here for French.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)  

The YF PMVCs in Maniema, Sankuru, and South Kivu are moving forward with micro-planning, with anticipated implementation in October 2022. Further YF PMVCs are planned in Lomami, Kasai, East Kasai and Central Kasai for early 2023. Overall, the campaigns will aim to protect around 28 million people.   

Uganda  

Uganda has concluded the training of its national-level trainers and is proceeding with training at district level, which will be followed by the immediate introduction of the YF vaccine into its routine immunization programme.  

A multi-year PMVC is scheduled to begin in October 2022 and is due to run for over 3 years. This will mark a significant step towards protecting the population against the disease. The aim is to target 12 million people in the 2022 phase of the campaign.

Nigeria 

Nigeria has begun to implement its integrated vaccination campaigns against YF, measles, meningitis, and maternal and neonatal tetanus. Activities in Ogun and Gombe states are now completed.

Additional campaigns in the coming weeks will be implemented in Adamawa, Bayelsa, Borno, Kano and Enugu states.

Events 

Strategic planning workshop for EYE Strategy implementation

In Niger, a workshop was held by the African Regional Office (AFRO), YF Incident Management Support Team (IMST), and the WHO country office (WCO). This took place between 23rd and 27th August 2022. A strategic plan for the elimination of yellow fever epidemics in Niger was developed.  

This workshop brought together participants from the Ministry of Health and other partners including UNICEF and GAVI in Dosso. 

With WHO representatives and participants

Regional workshop to strengthen regional reference laboratory’s confirmatory capacities using chimeric virus 

12th to 26th November 2022 - hosted by Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Entebbe, Uganda  

Gavi application deadlines for 2022 

Read more about the Gavi Independent Review Committee here.