African states set to receive H1N1 vaccine soon-WHO

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African states set to receive H1N1 vaccine soon-WHO

GENEVA, March 19 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday it would deliver millions of H1N1 vaccine doses to about a dozen countries in Africa in coming weeks.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, as well as Kenya and South Africa are among those slated to receive vaccine doses by May, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said.

"In the next weeks, 10-15 countries will receive vaccine. We are doing what we can to limit the effects of H1N1 on the African continent," Hartl told a news briefing.

The shipment for Nigeria, expected to go in coming days, would contain about 2.8 million doses.

The H1N1 virus continues to spread in West Africa, including Senegal and Ivory Coast, although clinical data is limited about its severity, the WHO said in its latest update a week ago.

"Cameroon and Senegal have been bumped up as a priority because we know there is community transmission (of the virus)," WHO spokeswoman Karen Mah told Reuters on Friday.

Togo was the first African country to receive H1N1 vaccine from the WHO on Feb. 27, she said.

Eastern and southern Africa likely had an earlier peak in pandemic influenza activity at year-end, according to the WHO.

To date, the United Nations agency has delivered 3 million vaccine doses to 16 countries, including Afghanistan. Its stocks have been donated by industrialised countries and drug makers.
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Full text at: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE62I0T520100319

 

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Re: African states set to receive H1N1 vaccine soon-WHO

H1N1 Swine Flu Cases Increasing in Southern Hemisphere

29 March 2010

Excerpt:

"WHO Special Adviser on Pandemic Influenza, Keiji Fukuda, says the H1N1 virus is circulating most actively in parts of Southeast Asia, West Africa, and in the tropical zone of the Americas.

Fukuda says the World Health Organization is concerned about what will happen as the southern Hemisphere enters its winter season.

"Many of the countries in the southern Hemisphere are the countries who are least able to handle large outbreaks of disease and who have the least resources," noted Dr. Fukuda. "As you know, the reports of H1N1 in some parts of Africa, particularly West Africa have been relatively recent. We did not have reports of activity in Western Africa in 2009. They really were more reported in 2010"

Dr. Fukuda says a main focus of WHO activity is to get H1N1 vaccines shipped to countries in the southern Hemisphere.

He says 25 out of 95 poor countries in need of the vaccines have received them. He notes another concern is the weak monitoring ability in developing countries.

"I think it is clear that surveillance capacities still can be made much better," Dr. Fukuda added. "They can be improved in Africa, but also in a number of countries. So, this is one of our big aims that we hope to continue moving on over the next number of years to improve those basic capacities there."

The World Health Organization reports pandemic influenza activity remains variable in Sub-Saharan Africa. Data suggests the most active areas of transmission continue to be in West Africa and in limited areas of East Africa, particularly in Rwanda.

It says Ghana and Senegal have the largest number of reported cases of H1N1 In West Africa."

Read more at: http://www1.voanews.com/english/new...creasing-in-Southern-Hemisphere-89394817.html