from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Bureau
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – AT least 40 people have died from an outbreak of yellow fever in Africa over the past two years.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has documented the deaths from a total of 203 confirmed and 252 probable cases in 13 countries.
Figures are for the period January 2021 to December 2022.
In 2022, Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ghana, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and Uganda reported outbreaks.
Out of these countries, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Nigeria and Republic of the Congo are experiencing a continuation of transmission from 2021.
Kenya, Niger, Sierra Leone and Uganda are newly reporting confirmed cases.
Gabon reported an isolated confirmed case in 2021, but no further cases were registered in 2022.
The most affected age group among confirmed cases in 2021 was 10 years and below.
The most affected group in 2022 is 20 to 30 years old.
Overall, about 71 percent of confirmed cases are people aged 30 and below.
Children aged 10 years and below are disproportionately affected.
Yellow fever is an epidemic-prone, vaccine-preventable disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans by the bites of infected Aedes and Haemagogus mosquitoes.
– CAJ News