Gabon – Anticipatory actions for Marburg risk – Operational Update (MDRGA009) – Gabon | CPT PPP Coverage

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Glide Number: EP-2023-000027-GNQ

Description of the Event

Provide any updates in the situation since the field report and eplain what is expected to happen.

In sitrep N°2 published on February 25, 2023, the authorities mentioned that since the alert of February 13, 2023, confirming a positive sample for Marburg disease, more than 163 people have crossed the land border between the 3 countries: Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Gabon. It should be noted that suspected cases have been detected in the two neighboring countries of Gabon. These official travel reports, therefore, remain of concern and support the additional actions undertaken by the Gabonese Red Cross (CRG) to strengthen preventive measures, the preparation of the NS and the community alert system in contribution to the mandate of the operational unit for Response to Epidemics (CORE).

On February 10, 2023, the Government of Equatorial Guinea reported the death of nine (9) people presenting the symptoms of hemorrhagic fever. On February 12, a sample of suspected cases was declared positive for Marburg disease and the (WHO)published confirmation of the epidemic in Equatorial Guinea on February 13, while Cameroon has continued to record suspected cases since February 9, although none have been tested positive so far.

As of 02.03.2023, triangulated information from the field reported contact cases of the various confirmed cases not yet traced in Equatorial Guinea. At the request of the Ministry of Health, several agencies deployed to the affected area in Equatorial Guinea to support the set-up of the response, include Equatorial Guinea RC. In bordering countries Gabon and Cameroon, DREF supported the anticipatory actions of the NSs to prevent the risk of spread across the countries. Throughout the first months of those interventions, deaths with similar symptoms continued to be reported at the community level, although not confirmed by laboratory tests. According to WHO, since the beginning of the outbreak and as of 21 March, a cumulative number of nine confirmed and 20 probable cases have been recorded in Equatorial Guinea with now four cases in Littoral province and two in Centro Sur province in addition to the cases in Kie-Ntem. This wide transmission of the epidemic across the country was increasing the risk for neighboring countries, include Gabon. Through this DREF operation, Gabon RC was planning to contribute to the preventive measures declared by the Government in Gabon and preparedness of the NS. On 15th May, the Equatorial Government declared the epidemic over and confirm with an international press release of 8 June 2023 after two consecutive incubation periods (42 days) without a new confirmed case reported.