Ebola

In Guinea at least three people died of the Ebola virus in the past weeks. These are the first reported cases of Ebola since the country was declared Ebola-free in 2016.

"The government reassures the people that all measures are being taken to stem this epidemic as soon as possible," Guinean minister of health Rémy Lamah.

According to the World Health Organization the Congo has successfully ended an Ebola outbreak while fighting Covid-19 at the same time.

WHO Africa chief Matshidiso Moeti has stated that "Overcoming one of the world's most dangerous pathogens in remote and hard to access communities demonstrates what is possible when science and solidarity come together," adding that "This constituted a major logistical challenge in terms of the implementation of response activities in a health system already weakened by previous epidemics and by a weak involvement of the community."

"Tackling Ebola in parallel with COVID-19 hasn't been easy, but much of the expertise we've built in one disease is transferable to another and underlines the importance of investing in emergency preparedness and building local capacity."

The western Democratic Republic of Congo reports 48 Ebola cases since June 1st. 20 people have died. WHO emergency expert Mike Ryan: "This is still a very active outbreak, and I would say it is still a great concern."

Even though numbers are still low, Ryan voices concerns: "In the era of COVID, it is very important that we do not take our eyes off these other emerging diseases."

The medical and pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson has received approval for their Ebola vaccine by the European Commission.

Both components of the two-dose vaccine for the prevention of the virus have been approved and the company hopes that this will lead to "accelerated registration" in African countries. J&J is the second company to receive approval for an Ebola vaccine after Merck.

The World Health Organization has confirmed a second Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo with six infected and four dead people so far. According to officials, the outbreak has taken place in the Équateur Province and the country's national medical research organization INRB is currently analyzing samples for secondary confirmation. In addition to the new Ebola cases, the country also battles the Covid-19 pandemic and the world's largest measles outbreak.