Libreville, 24 February 2023, - Experts from the Regional Project for Strengthening Disease Surveillance Systems in Central Africa (REDISSE IV), based within the Commission of Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and experts from the Africa CDC Regional Collaboration Centre (RCC) based in Libreville held an emergency meeting, in hybrid mode, to re-launch the collaborative activities as proposed in 2022, in the context of the Marburg Virus Disease outbreak emergency in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. Also present at the meeting were Dr. Justino OBAMA, Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Health in Equatorial Guinea, and Dr. Elisabeth MUKAMBA, Head of the Central African Health Organisation (CAHO) Start-up Team.

 

Status of the response to the Marburg virus epidemic in Equatorial Guinea

 

Dr Justino OBAMA informed the participants that the epidemic occurred in January 2023 in the province of KIE NTEM and was confirmed on 13/02/2023 after the analysis of samples at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar.

 

As of 24/02/2023, the epidemic has caused 10 deaths, the last one on 10/02/2023.  He affirmed that the situation seems to be under control thanks to the multidisciplinary team dispatched on site by the different health partners with the setting up of different teams in all the districts of the country. Since 10 February 2023, there have been no new cases, but contacts continue to be traced regularly.

 Face-to-face participants

Dr Ludovic FIOMONA TAMADEA, Coordinator of the Coordination and Management Unit of the REDISSE IV Project, presented the draft action plan of ECCAS to support the response to the Marburg virus epidemic not only in Equatorial Guinea, but also in the health districts of southern Cameroon and northern Gabon.

 

This action plan includes the press release that was issued to alert the population of the sub-region on the occurrence of this epidemic, the organisation of the ongoing mission to support the response in the borders of the three bordering countries, the long-term work plan to strengthen the cross-border surveillance system.

 

In their exchanges, the participants welcomed the efforts made by Equatorial Guinea and the various health partners in the response to the Marburg virus epidemic and recommended strengthening the community-based surveillance system and cross-border surveillance in the ECCAS area in general.

 

 

Relaunch of REDISSE IV-ECCAS and CCR Africa CDC activities

 

Dr Severin Gervais NDJAPOU, COVID 19 Vaccination Project Officer at the Africa CDC RCC, recalled the main activities retained in 2022 which are the subject of collaboration and synergy to strengthen the health coverage system in Central Africa.

 

Through exchanges, the participants agreed to review the collaboration activities retained to align them with the action plans of the two organisations during this year 2023.

 Online participants

Among the activities retained for the collaboration, the two institutions focused more particularly on the production and publication of the epidemiological bulletin in the Central African sub-region, which will not only be an information tool on the health situation in Central Africa, but also an advocacy tool within the framework of the establishment of an effective system for sharing health information in real time to deal with the various epidemics. 

 

The participants commented on the proposal for the epidemiological bulletin presented and committed themselves to doing everything necessary for the publication of the first issue as soon as possible.