An online survey on a global research agenda on public health and social measures during health emergencies

25 August 2022 Call for dataWHO invites the global stakeholders working across various sectors, at different levels and in various roles to participate in a brief survey to contribute to the development of a global research agenda for public health and social measures (PHSM) during health emergencies.Click here to access the surveyThe survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and seeks to identify immediate and urgent PHSM research priorities related to COVID-19 in the next 12 months. Six research themes and 45 priority research questions and topics in this survey were previously discussed during the first WHO global technical consultation on PHSM held from 31 August to 2 September 2021. This public survey, therefore, serves as the second stage of verification to improve the appropriateness and relevance of these proposed research questions. 

PHSM are part of critical interventions during health emergencies to reduce the transmission of pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential. PHSM refer to actions including non-pharmaceutical interventions which reduce physical contacts or make them safer. They contribute to lowering transmission, hospitalization rates and deaths, hence reduce the pressure on the health care system enabling it to maintain essential health services, buy time to develop and implement pharmaceutical interventions, and offer increased individual and community protection. WHO’s multi-year PHSM initiative in the High Impact Events Preparedness (IEP) unit in the Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention (EPP) aims to accelerate global research and strengthen precision in PHSM policies and implementation.  Towards understanding the effectiveness as well as health, social and economic impact of PHSM during health emergencies, this public survey informs the development of the global research agenda 2021-2030 covering immediate (next 12 months) and medium- to long-term (after 12 months and up to the end of 2030) priorities. This survey focuses first on the immediate priorities.

The survey is voluntary. It is anonymous and does not collect any personal information or contact details of the respondents. Only aggregate information will be analysed. Following a consultation and verification with PHSM working groups, the result of the survey will be published on the WHO website.

The survey will close on 30 September 2022. If you have further questions about the survey, you can contact phsm@who.int

Source: WHO website

The Democratic Republic of the Congo declares Ebola resurgence in North Kivu

23 August 2022 Brazzaville/Kinshasa – Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared a resurgence of Ebola late last night, following confirmation of one case in the country’s eastern province of North Kivu.  

A 46-year-old woman died on 15 August 2022 in Beni, a town located in North Kivu. She received care at the Beni Referral Hospital, initially for other ailments, but subsequently exhibited symptoms consistent with Ebola virus disease  

Both the Beni and Goma branches of the country’s National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) confirmed Ebola virus in samples taken from the patient. Analyses showed that the case was genetically linked to the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri Provinces—the country’s longest and largest. 

“Ebola resurgences are occurring with greater frequency in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which is concerning. However, health authorities in North Kivu have successfully stopped several Ebola flare-ups and building on this expertise will no doubt bring this one under control quickly,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa.   

WHO staff and health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo working to stem the spread of the disease, having identified 160 contacts whose health is being closely monitored. Investigations are ongoing to determine the vaccination status of the confirmed case.   

There are 1000 doses of the rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccines available in the country’s stockpile, 200 of which will be sent to Beni this week. Ring-vaccination—where contacts and contacts of contacts are vaccinated to curb the spread of the virus and protect lives—is expected to begin shortly. 

The last flare-up in North Kivu’s Beni health zone was brought under control in about two months, ending on 16 December 2021. There were 11 cases (eight confirmed, three probable), including six deaths. 

Source: for more information please visit the WHO AFRO website.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo declares 14th Ebola outbreak over

4 July 2022 Brazzaville/Kinshasa – The Democratic Republic of the Congo today declared the end of the Ebola outbreak that erupted less than three months ago in Mbandaka, the capital of Equateur Province in the northwest. It was the third outbreak in the province since 2018 and the country’s 14th overall.

With greater experience in Ebola control, national emergency teams, with the support from World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, mounted a swift response soon after the outbreak was declared on 23 April, rolling out key counter measures including testing, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, treatmentand community engagement. Vaccination – a crucial protective measure – was launched just four days after the outbreak was declared.

In all, there were four confirmed cases and one probable case – all of whom died. In the previous outbreak in Equateur Province that lasted from June to November 2020, there were 130 confirmed cases and 55 deaths.

“Thanks to the robust response by the national authorities, this outbreak has been brought to an end swiftly withlimited transmission of the virus,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “Crucial lessons have been learned from past outbreaks and they have been applied to devise and deploy an ever more effective Ebola response.”

The just ended outbreak saw a total of 2104 people vaccinated, including 302 contacts and 1307 frontline workers. To facilitate the vaccination rollout, an ultra-cold chain freezer was installed in Mbandaka which allowed for vaccine doses to be stored locally and safely and be delivered effectively.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has now recorded 14 Ebola outbreaks since 1976, six of which have occurred since 2018.

“Africa is seeing an increase in Ebola and other infectious diseases that jump from animals to humans impacting large urban areas,” said Dr Moeti. “We need to be ever more vigilant to ensure we catch cases quickly. This outbreak response shows that by bolstering preparedness, disease surveillance and swift detection, we can stay a step ahead.”

WHO supported the Democratic Republic of the Congo in implementing a strong national strategy developed early to guide response coordination; decentralizing operations to the lowest level to work closely with communities; basing the response on evidence; and regularly analysing the epidemiological risk to rapidly adjust the response.

Although the outbreak in Mbandaka has been declared over, health authorities are maintaining surveillance and are ready to respond quickly to any flare-ups. It is not unusual for sporadic cases to occur following an outbreak.

The disease, which affects humans and other primates, is severe and often fatal. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks. However, with the currently available effective treatment, patients have a significantly higher chance of survival if they are treated early and given supportive care.

Source: WHO AFRO

Integrated Outbreak Analytics delivers holistic understanding of outbreak dynamics

30 April 2022 I Geneva - The seeds for Integrated Outbreak Analytics (IOA) were sown during the 2018 Ebola response in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as the social science and epidemiology cells worked collaboratively to deliver real time systematic operational research to inform evidence-based response. In 2020, IOA was formalised as a GOARN working group to establish a platform for exchange for all partners in the GOARN network. Since then, IOA has operated as a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding outbreak dynamics in many different outbreaks including plague and cholera and to inform outbreak response with multiple partners. Today, IOA aims to drive comprehensive, accountable, and effective public health and clinical strategies by enabling communities, and national and subnational health authorities to use data for operational decision-making. IOA embraces a holistic perspective of outbreak dynamics throughout: from the research questions to the data that are collected or accessed, to the interpretation of results and the recommendations that follow. In addition, IOA promotes co-development and monitoring of evidence-informed recommendations with Ministries of Health. The quarterly IOA Field Exchange shares IOA initiatives and experiences from across the world, at different levels, to facilitate dialogue between and learning opportunities for individuals and organisations working in IOA. It aims to highlight the benefits of IOA to public health emergency response and evidence-based decision-making but also to discuss the realities of IOA in practice, the challenges and the lessons-learned. IOA will always vary context to context and we respect and encourage that diversity.

New fund for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response formally established

9 September 2022 I  Geneva

The new financial intermediary fund (FIF) for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) was officially established by the FIF Governing Board at its inaugural meeting from 8-9 September 2022. 

The fund will provide a dedicated stream of additional, long-term financing to strengthen PPR capabilities in low- and middle-income countries and address critical gaps through investments and technical support at the national, regional, and global levels. The fund will draw on the strengths and comparative advantages of key institutions engaged in PPR, provide complementary support, improve coordination among partners, incentivize increased country investments, serve as a platform for advocacy, and help focus and sustain much-needed, high-level attention on strengthening health systems.

The first calls for proposals for investments to be funded by the FIF will open in November 2022.

“COVID-19 has highlighted the pressing need for action to build stronger health systems,” said World Bank Group President David Malpass. “Investing now will save lives and resources for the years to come. We welcome the broad support from the international community for this new, multilateral financial intermediary fund at the World Bank to help low- and middle-income countries and regions become better prepared for global health crises and are pleased to have been able to proceed quickly in establishing the fund.”

The fund’s establishment follows approval by the World Bank’s Board of Directors on June 30, 2022. The World Bank will serve as the FIF’s trustee and host the Secretariat, which will include technical staff seconded from the World Health Organization (WHO). The Governing Board will appoint a Technical Advisory Panel, chaired by WHO, and comprising leading experts to assess and make recommendations to the Governing Board on the technical merits of proposals for funding, ensuring linkages to the International Health Regulations, as part of the broader global PPR architecture.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has been a seismic shock to the world, but we also know that the next pandemic is a matter of when, not if,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "The suffering and loss we have all endured will be in vain unless we learn the painful lessons from COVID-19 and put in place the measures to fill critical gaps in the world’s defences against epidemics and pandemics. The FIF is one of those key measures, and WHO looks forward to fulfilling its technical leadership role in advising the FIF Board on where to make the most effective investments to protect health, especially in low- and middle-income countries.”

The new fund is overseen by a Governing Board, which will set the overall work program and make funding decisions. The FIF’s Governing Board includes equal representation of sovereign donors and potential implementing country governments (co-investors), as well as representatives from foundations and civil society organizations (CSOs).

The World Bank and WHO will intensify their work with the Governing Board in consultation with CSOs and other stakeholders, to help operationalize the fund and develop the FIF results framework and priorities in the run up to the first call for proposals.

FIF financing could help strengthen and sustain PPR capacity in areas such as zoonotic disease surveillance; laboratories; emergency communication, coordination and management; critical health workforce capacities; and community engagement. FIF-financed projects can also help strengthen PPR at the regional and global levels, for example, by building capacity for medical countermeasures. The FIF can support peer-to-peer learning, provide targeted technical assistance, and help with the systematic monitoring of PPR capacities.

The FIF was developed with broad support from members of the G20 and beyond. Over US$1.4 billion in financial commitments have already been announced and more are expected in the coming months. So far, commitments have been made by Australia, Canada, China, the European Commission, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Wellcome Trust. 

Source: WHO website