EYE Strategy November & December newsletter

Media briefing, 29th November 2023. To read the Director General’s full opening remarks, click here.

COP 28 and the inaugural Health Day  

COP28 saw the inclusion of its first-ever health day. According to WHO, more than 40 million health professionals from around the globe called for the COP negotiations to prioritize health discussions. 

Governments have been urged to meet previous climate commitments and reminded of the need to build climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems for future global health security. 

The newly endorsed ‘COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health’ highlights the severe health implications of climate change, emphasizes the critical role of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement and underscores the urgent need to work collaboratively to confront the connections between climate change and health.  

To read the full press release, click here.

To learn more about the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on public health, and specifically yellow fever, please listen to two of our podcasts on these topics.

Podcast on Spotify  | Podcast on Apple | Podcast on Deezer | Podcast on Amazon | Podcast on Google | Podcast on Gaana

Podcast on Spotify  | Podcast on Apple | Podcast on Deezer | Podcast on Amazon | Podcast on Google | Podcast on Gaana 

Country updates  

Gabon 

The Gabon Ministry of Health has recently undertaken the EYE Strategy's yellow fever immunity gap analysis. The newly-developed tool seeks to identify priority districts and provide estimates of unprotected populations. These data will then inform future vaccination activities planned by the country.  

Immunity gap analyses have also been conducted in Cameroon and Guinea. 

Reactive Vaccination Campaigns (RVCs) 

All RVCs are approved by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision (ICG) and supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. 

Central African Republic 

An RVC is planned for early 2024 in the following districts: Bossembélé, Berbérati and Bambari. This campaign aims to protect over 435,000 people against yellow fever. This is likely to include vulnerable populations in hard-to-reach places and high-risk workers, such as those working in forests and mines. 

Guinea

After confirmation of one confirmed case of yellow fever, the Guinea Ministry of Health implemented an RVC in the district of Dinguiraye to protect 5000 people against yellow fever. Further vaccination activities are planned for 2024. 

Preventive mass vaccination campaigns (PMVCs)    

Chad 

Chad is implementing a yellow fever PMVC in the first part of 2024. The campaign will cover 151 health districts in 23 provinces, which will target around 17 million people for protection. The campaign will be implemented in two phases in February and May 2024. 

In February, the campaign will be implemented in the following provinces and integrated integrated with measles vaccinations: Barh El Gazal, Ennedi Est, Logone Oriental, Hadjer Lamis, Kanem, Lac, Tibesti, Sila, Wadi Fira, Ouadai and N'djamena.

In May, the following provinces will be targeted with yellow fever vaccine only: Moyen Chari, Tandjile, Batha, Borkou, Mayo Kebbi East, Guera de l'Ennedi Ouest, Mayo Kebbi Ouest, Logone Occidental, Salamat and Chari Baguirmi.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)        

Yellow fever PMVCs in Kwilu and Mai Ndombe are due to be implemented in December 2023, and will be integrated with measles round 1. Dates for the implementation of campaigns in Kongo Central and Kwango are yet to be confirmed. In total, these campaigns seek to target almost 12 million people for protection against yellow fever.  

Some districts in Kongo Central, Kwango, and Lualaba completed an RVC during the Angola outbreak in 2016. Immunization gaps in these provinces are still being investigated.

Yellow fever vaccination campaigns in the two provinces of Ituri and Nord Kivu are planned for 2024. 

Events

Africa regional meeting for meningitis, measles rubella, and yellow fever - 14th to 16th November 2023, Brazzaville, Congo 

Dr Blaise Bathondoli, Regional Adviser for yellow fever updating meeting participants on yellow fever in the Africa region. Image © WHO Congo 

This year, the regional meeting was a combined effort with leaders and stakeholders working on meningitis, measles rubella, and yellow fever initiatives in the WHO African Region (AFRO). 

As well as reviewing the current epidemiological situation, the three-day meeting discussed epidemic preparedness and response, risk, and surveillance and laboratory activities for all diseases. 

The meeting was an opportunity to discuss yellow fever case classification and diagnostic algorithms. A representative from the Ministry of Health in the Central African Republic presented their innovative interventions, such as implementation of a yellow fever vaccination campaign targeting high-risk forestry workers and collating data in relation to the gender of those vaccinated.  

Further information on the agreed meeting's outcomes will be published in due course.  

7th EYE Strategy Annual Partners’ Meeting – 19th to 21st March 2024. 

Please save the date. Registration details are to follow.  

Publications

Managing epidemics: key facts about major deadly diseases, 2nd edition 

Overview 

Planning and preparation for epidemic prevention and control are essential. The purpose of the Managing Epidemics handbook is to provide expert guidance on those responses. Building on the first edition, the second edition provides concise and basic up-to-date knowledge with which public health officials can respond effectively and rapidly at the very start of an outbreak.  

Part I of the handbook provides insights on epidemics of the 21st century and offers context on the upsurge of recent epidemics. Part II has been updated and offers 10 key facts about 19 deadly diseases including tips on the interventions required to respond. Part III presents various toolboxes that summarize guidance on several important topics. The handbook focuses on practical and indispensable things to know about infectious diseases, such as yellow fever, that are most important for national, political and operational decision-makers; it also links readers to more exhaustive WHO guidance. 

You can download here.