Tag: outbreak response

  • Liberia advances domestication of amended International Health Regulations with multisector roadmap

    Liberia advances domestication of amended International Health Regulations with multisector roadmap

    Liberia advances domestication of amended International Health Regulations with multisector roadmap

    As reported in a WHO update carried via Africa Newsroom, Liberia convened a multisector workshop to drive domestication of the amended International Health Regulations (IHR), aligning national systems with updated global health-security rules.

    The report says the process produced an implementation roadmap and included senior-level commitment, aimed at strengthening coordination, surveillance, and response readiness for cross-border threats.

    Domestication is where global standards become national practice—through legislation, procedures, budgets, and accountability across ministries and agencies.

    WHO AFRO noted the workshop ended with the signing of a “national declaration” supporting implementation. Liberia’s NPHIL also described the step as “significant” for enhancing health security and preparedness.

    Echotitbits take:
    The credibility test is capacity. Watch for budget lines, training cycles, labs and surveillance upgrades, and real simulation exercises—those are the signals that domestication becomes real readiness.

    Source: afro.who — January 2, 2026 — https://www.afro.who.int/countries/liberia/news/liberia-advances-implementation-amended-international-health-regulations

    World Health Organization (WHO) 2026-01-02

    Photo Credit: afro.who

  • Polio cases drop sharply in Kano, Katsina as eradication push intensifies

    Polio cases drop sharply in Kano, Katsina as eradication push intensifies

    An illustration depicting a particle of the polio virus – New York Times
    2025-12-14

    According to The Punch, Nigeria’s polio-response managers say reported circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) cases have fallen, with Kano and Katsina recording the biggest declines, even as officials warn outbreaks can rebound if immunisation gaps persist.

    The update was presented during a National Economic Council (NEC) review, where officials linked the improvement to intensified campaigns, tighter monitoring and stronger coordination in high-risk areas.

    State House reporting on the same NEC meeting referenced a national reduction figure and stressed that progress depends on sustaining high coverage and rapid response where surveillance detects new risks.

    The Whistler also reported the NEC briefing and echoed the warning that gains will only hold if surveillance and response remain consistent across states.

    Analysis/Echotitbits take: Kano and Katsina are pivotal in Nigeria’s polio history—progress there is meaningful but fragile. Watch for stronger routine immunisation (not only campaigns), improved surveillance quality, and faster close-out of ‘zero-dose’ pockets that can reseed outbreaks.

    Source: The Punch — 14 Dec 2025 (https://punchng.com/govt-warns-as-polio-drops-in-kano-katsina/)